Queen Elsa's War
by cgtrial
Summary: When Anna goes missing during a diplomatic mission to the Northern Isles, Elsa resolves to find her and bring her home. Rated T for some violence. Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or its characters. Disney does.
1. The Mission

_A boat. It had to be on a boat._

Ever since her parent's death at sea, Princess Anna had had a slight fear of sailing vessels and an even greater fear of the open ocean. She now found herself facing both of those fears head on. She had been able to keep herself distracted for the first few hours of the trip by keeping an eye on the mountains of Arendelle as they slowly receded over the horizon. For the past hour, however, the only thing see could see in all directions was water.

_Way too much water._

To keep her mind distracted from the world around her, Anna had spent most of the trip tucked away in the captain's cabin at the stern of the ship. It had been specially converted for her use on this trip while the captain roomed with the first mate further forward. She looked over the itinerary for this excursion to the Northern Isles. While on the trip was officially diplomatic, Anna knew it was little more than a publicity stunt. Nothing more than showing critics of Queen Elsa's war that Arendelle did care about its ally to the west.

The war against the Southern Isles had started after Elsa learned of Prince Hans' punishment for his actions against Arendelle. One week in prison. Both Elsa and Anna firmly believed that Hans deserved far worse and Elsa ordered a trade embargo against the Southern Isles in protest against his reduced sentence. As the rumor went, the King of the Southern Isles declared war against Arendelle within an hour after receiving the notice of the embargo. The Northern Isles quickly rose to Arendelle's aid and offered its warships and armies to Elsa's service. The King of the Northern Isles had long sought to annex the Southern Isles into his kingdom and saw this war as the perfect opportunity. That was just over one year ago.

In the months that followed, however, it soon became evident that Arendelle would do whatever it took to stay out of the fight. Arendelle's forces had only met the enemy once in battle, and it was a minor battle at that. Most of the fighting took place in the waters between the Northern and Southern Isles. Several coastal cities from both nations had already be shelled to oblivion by opposing ships. Citizens of the Northern Isles began to accuse the young Queen of Arendelle of neglecting their alliance and abandoning them, despite the fact that Arendelle offered aid in terms financial and military supplies. Elsa's "gifts" were the only thing that kept the Northern Isles afloat during the war. None of that mattered as the voices of the masses grew louder.

Anna's job on this trip was to appease some of the dissenting voices. Elsa would have been the diplomat on this voyage, but the pressure of running a country at war meant she could afford to leave Arendelle at this time. Plus, both agreed that Anna was better with people and therefore would most likely be more successful in bring people to their side.

Anna's trip would include a tour of several forts and the capital city, shaking hands and kissing babies. The conclusion of the trip would be a letter from Elsa, read aloud by Anna in the main square, reaffirming Arendelle's support and undying alliance with the Northern Isles.

_I just have to get there first._

Anna didn't like boats, but sailing on an armed vessel did little to calm her nerves. Since it was a time of war, diplomats traveled on armed ships for self-defense purposes. The ship Anna currently travelled on was one of Arendelle's few remaining warships, the _Victory_. It had seen some warfare, but its use had been reduced to nothing more than a scout ship until the need for an armed diplomatic ship arose.

Anna finished reading Elsa's letter for the fifth time. She glance up and out the large windows that looked out the stern of the ship from the captain's cabin. The vast expanse of water still made her stomach tie up in knots every time she saw it. She glanced back down at the letter to avoid looking at the water for much longer. The letter filled Anna with pride for her older sister. The wording was so royal, so regal. Elsa had certainly come a long way in the year and a half since the Great Freeze, when Elsa's control of ice and snow plunged Arendelle into eternal winter after her coronation as queen. Elsa fled but Anna brought her back and saved Elsa from Prince Hans, ironically causing Arendelle more trouble in the future. Elsa, however, did not adjust to her new life easily. Thirteen years of isolation is not reversed overnight. Elsa was just now starting to open up to people other than Anna and her fiancé, Kristoff. The letter on the table in front of Anna was Elsa's first real attempt to reach out beyond Arendelle. Elsa was learning to be human again, and the thought of that made Anna smile.

After sitting at the table in her cabin for nearly three hours straight, Anna's restless legs got the better of her and she stood up to go to the main deck. She was greeted almost immediately by the captain and his first mate. Captain Augustin was in his mid-fifties and had been in command of sea-faring vessels since his early twenties. He stood a full head above Anna and his trimmed white beard hid a face that was almost constantly smiling. First Mate Olsen was in his early thirties and had served under Augustin for the past six years. He was clean-shaven with thick black hair. Standing around Anna's height, Olsen looked unassuming, but both the captain and he were well respected by the crew of the _Victory._ The duo made for one of the best ship commands in these waters. That was the main reason Elsa personally appointed the two to command the royal vessel.

"Good morning, your Majesty," Augustin welcomed Anna in his deep, jovial voice and a smile. Anna thought both he and First Mate Olsen looked quite impressive in their traditional dark-blue officer's uniforms.

"Please, just call me Anna." As she glanced around the deck, she realized how much she stood out compared to all the sailors. Despite its small size, the _Victory_ had a crew of over 150 sailors, all of them wore either white or blue depending on rank. Anna's green and black dress and strawberry-blonde hair did not fit into the current scenario at all.

Stepping out of the cramped cabin felt great for a while. The fresh breeze off the water felt amazing after being inside for hours, but as soon as she looked out over the water she felt a bit of nausea take over.

_I will never get used to this._

"Getting a little seasick, are we, your Majesty?" The captain obviously saw Anna turn green and grab the railing for support. She was about to correct him for calling her _your Majesty_ again, but was interrupted by a shout from the watch perched atop the mainmast.

"Sail, ho!"


	2. Pursuit

Captain Augustin and First Mate Olsen both looked up toward the voice in the sails.

"Where?" the captain called upward. Anna didn't hear any fear in his voice, but no one wanted to take any chances. They were close enough to the Southern Isles that running into a marauding Southern Isles' warship was a possibility. Anna did her best to convince herself that it was only a fishing boat or maybe a merchant ship.

"Three points off port bow, sir!" The voice from the mast broke Anna's train of thought. The captain moved to the front of ship and raised his telescope to scan the horizon in front of his ship. Anna decided she had nothing better to do and followed him. As she reached the bow, she saw sail in question. It looked so small to naked eye.

_Maybe they just won't see us._

"Do you see their colors, Mr. Olsen?" The captain asked. Anna hadn't even noticed the younger man had joined them and was looking through his own telescope.

"Nye, sir," Olsen responded, "but whoever she is, she's turning this way."

"Man-of-war?" the captain inquired.

"Possibly, but too far to tell sir." Olsen responded.

"Wait, what does 'man-of-war' mean?" Anna wasn't at all fluent in naval terminology. The captain collapsed his telescope and moved toward stern of the ship.

"It means she's a warship," the captain revealed. "Technically speaking, the _Victory_'s a man-of-war, because she's got guns," he said a gestured toward the gun deck beneath them. By this time, the trio had reached the stern of the ship. The ships wheel was there and was manned by a boy Anna felt could not be any older than fifteen years old. "Keep your present course, Mr. Berg," the captain told the boy.

"Aye, cap'n," Berg answered.

The next hour drained away agonizingly slow. The captain and his first mate took turns looking through their telescopes attempting to determine if the approaching ship was friend or foe. All of this was excruciatingly boring for Anna who retired to the captain's cabin in a vain attempt to sleep. She might have drifted off if she hadn't awoken with a start by a whistle and the sounds of yelling coming from the deck above her. She felt the ship begin to turn underneath her.

_What could possibly be happening?_

Anna stepped onto the deck just to find it a flurry of activity. Sailors ran to a fro, shouting orders. The ship now made a complete about-face and was going back the way it had come. "What's happening?" Anna had to practically shout at the captain to be heard over the multitude of sounds around her.

"That," the captain pointed to the stern of the ship. Anna looked past him and saw the reason for the hasty retreat. The ship was now much closer than it was before. It was still a good ways off, but still closing slowly. The most disconcerting thing about the ship was the flag that was clearly seen atop the main mast. The ship flew the crimson and gold flag of the Southern Isles.

"How did you not see that earlier?!" Anna shouted.

"She waited till she was close to raise her colors!" First Mate Olsen quickly replied.

"Can we outrun it?" Anna countered.

"No, she's faster than we are. Our only real hope to get in sight of land before she catches us." Captain Augustin told Anna in as plainly as possible. Anna, however, swore she heard a touch of fear in his voice.

_He thinks he failed me._

Anna found her herself at a loss for words. With once last glance at the approaching Southern Isle ship, Anna began to head back to the captain's cabin. Suddenly the air was filled with a faint, rapid drum beat. Anna, now curious, walked back on the stern of the _Victory_. The drum beat was coming from the other ship. After about thirty seconds, the beat stopped just as quickly as it had begun. In Anna's eyes, the enemy ship abruptly looked like it grew quills all over its hull. Her stomach dropped when she came to realization that they weren't quills, they were cannons. The drum beat was a call to battle stations.

_How many guns does that ship have?_

"God help us all," Anna heard Captain Augustin whisper under his breath, quiet enough that no other crew members heard him.

"She's got at least fifty heavy guns, sir," Olsen reported while looking through his telescope.

"How many do we have? We have to fight back somehow!" Anna implored the captain. The captain didn't respond to her pleas, but continued to look aft with an empty expression on his face. Olsen decided to answer her question in the captain's place.

"We only have twenty guns. That ship can out-shoot and out-sail us, your Majesty."

"Mr. Olsen?" Augustin barely whispered the words, shock still spread across his face.

"Aye, Captain?"

"All hands to battle stations." Neither the captain's expression nor his tone had changed. Olsen snapped to attention and saluted.

"Aye, Captain." Olsen left the stern and relayed the orders to crew. Another drum roll echoed across the water as the crew of the _Victory _prepared their defense. Neither ship would be able to fire, however, until they were side-by-side. At the rate the two ships were closing, the confrontation would not occur for another few hours.

_At least we be closer to Arendelle when this goes down._

Anna looked to the captain who still stood at the stern with a blank expression on his face. Anna walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. She took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say to this man who clearly believed he had failed his most esteemed assignment.

"I… I'm so sorry…" Anna struggled to get the words out. She looked down at her feet before continuing. "I want you to know… No, I _need_ you know that whatever happens, I do not hold you or anyone on this ship accountable for this."

With that, Anna turned and retired to the captain's cabin. Now that she was alone, she felt her own panic about her current predicament rise. It didn't help that the large windows on the stern of the ship gave her the perfect view of the approaching vessel. It was still a ways away, but still closer than when she had last checked. In an attempt to occupy herself and not lose herself to her fear, she decided to write one last letter to her family in the vain hope that it might reach them.

She grabbed a sheet of paper with the royal letterhead and began to write.

_My Dearest Elsa,_

_I am so sorry that I write to you in these conditions. I know you will probably never read this, but I need you to know that no matter how this situation plays out, I love you and could not be more proud to call you my sister. Remember this for as long as you live and reign, your power is not a curse. It is a gift that makes you the most special person I have ever known in my life._

Anna's train of thought was interrupted by two low thuds in the distance. She glanced up to see that the perusing ship had fired its two forward facing guns toward the _Victory_. She heard both shells fly past the ship.

_Warning Shots_

The _Victory_ did not alter its speed or course. Anna turned her attention back to her writing.

_Kristoff,_

_I'm so thankful for the past year we were able to spend together. You made me realize that true love does exist, you just find it when you aren't looking for it. Just like I wasn't looking for you when you stopped by that little trading post just to find some shelter from the cold. I didn't know it at the time, but that was the happiest day of my life. I want you to be happy too. Don't let this stop you from finding true love. She's out there, I know it. I'm sorry that I will never be able to say a real, full goodbye in person._

_Goodbye,_

_Anna_.

As Anna finished her letter, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. Had she been crying? All she saw in her mind were images of Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, Sven, and the mountains of Arendelle. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not hear another thud in the distance.

Before Anna could react, the glass windows seemed to explode inward a cover the cabin in shards of glass. The table Anna sat at flipped over, sending papers, including the one she just wrote, scattering about the cabin. Anna herself was thrown backward into the wall of the cabin, having the wind knocked out of her in the process.

The captain was in the cabin before Anna had gotten to her feet.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" She wasn't entirely sure herself, but as soon as the ringing in her ears stopped, she realized that she was miraculously fine save a few glass cuts and small splinters. As the captain helped her to her feet, she saw the extent of the damage to the cabin. The rear of the ship now had a hole big enough for a person to fit through and all of the glass now lay on the floor. The captain's cabin was well above the water line, so the cabin remained dry.

"Your Majesty, they will be on us within the half hour, It would be best if you hid in the cargo hold. It will be the safest place for you when that time comes." Captain Augustin urged.

_Safe is a relative term._


	3. Victory

_A.N.S. Victory_

_20 Guns 156 Souls_

_Royal Orders  
To Cpt. H. Augustin_

_'Transport her Majesty, PRINCESS ANNA OF ARENDELLE, to port in the Northern Isles and wait there until the conclusion of her tour and transport her safely back to port in Arendelle.'_

First Mate Karl Olsen escorted the princess to the bilges of the ship. Olsen could read the disgust on Anna's face as they attempted to find a suitable hiding spot for her and he understood why she would dislike it down here. It was damp, dark, smelled, and a creaking sound echoed throughout the hold with every movement of the ship. They found her a dark corner behind some crates that could work to conceal her. Olsen, however, knew that these measures were only to delay the inevitable. The _Victory_ would be captured and everyone, including the princess, would be either captured or killed. Olsen didn't express his opinions out loud as to not needlessly frighten her, though he felt she thought the same thing.

_At least she won't witness the carnage that will no doubt cover the upper decks soon._

After Anna was well hidden, Olsen returned to the top deck. Before he climbed up the ladder to the surface, he was surprised to see helmsman Berg scamper down the ladder first. He quickly saluted Olsen.

"Mr. Olsen." And with that he ran away to help the gun crews prepare for a fight.

"Mr. Berg" Olsen replied out of habit, though the boy was far out of earshot to hear it. Olsen climbed to the top deck to find Captain Augustin manning the ship's wheel himself.

"I see you relieved Mr. Berg of his duty." Olsen stated, hoping the stoic captain would reveal his plan of action.

"A good captain should go down in command of his ship."

_I was hoping for something more hopeful._

"Do you have a plan of attack sir?" Olsen wondered.

"We'll use her size against her Mr. Olsen." The captain replied confidently.

_That's more like it._

"We'll wait 'till she's close and then turn into her." The captain continued. "We can turn faster than she can. We'll get the chance to fire at least one full broadside before she can turn to line up with us. Mr. Olsen, go to the gun deck, tell the men to prepare the starboard battery for a broadside. Aim for her waterline. Our only hope is to punch enough holes in her hull to force her give up the chase."

_That is the man I served under all those years ago._

Olsen began to back down to the gun deck, but not before snapping to attention and saluting.

"It has been a pleasure to serve beside you, sir."

"The pleasure has been all mine, Mr. Olsen." The captain replied as he returned the salute.

Olsen hurried down the ladder to the gun deck.

"Officer on deck!" he shouted. Everyone stopped what they we doing and snapped to attention. Olsen had their complete attention.

"Gun captains, prepare the starboard battery for a full broadside. Wait for my order to fire. Traverse your guns low. Aim for her waterline. We may only one shot from this battery before that ship shoots back, so accuracy is paramount. For Arendelle, and for the Queen!"

"For Arendelle, and for the Queen!" the gun crews shouted in unison before preparing their guns for action. Olsen watched with pride as his men organized for their final stand.

Suddenly, Olsen heard a loud voice outside, muffled by the hull of the _Victory_. He climbed up to the top deck to hear it better. It was the captain of the opposing ship addressing the _Victory_ with an amplifier.

"Arendelle Navy Ship _Victory_, this is the Southern Isles' Ship _Alliance_! Stop now and we will spare your lives. If you do not comply, we will have no choice but to destroy you! You have no chance for survival otherwise! Surrender now!"

Olsen felt his heart drop. The _S.I.S. Alliance_ was a name talked about in hushed tones at naval meetings. It was known for its fifty-eight gun firepower and a crew known brutal fighting tactics. There were few survivors of an _Alliance_ attack.

The _Alliance _was nearly close enough for the _Victory_'s attack. Olsen dropped back down to the gun deck and waited for the _Victory_ to turn. It came all too suddenly. The boat creaked as it turned sharply to starboard. Olsen raised his hand above his head and held it there in a fist. He looked out one of the gun ports and waited until the _Alliance_ filled his field of view. He could see the larger ship turning, but it couldn't turn fast enough due to its size, its dark red hull defenseless against the _Victory_'s guns. Now the _Victory_ was in position to fire, to fight back.

Olsen glanced at the gun captains on the deck who all looked at him nervously.

"Have courage men!" Olsen tried to convince himself as much as his men.

His hand dropped.

"Fire!"


	4. Alliance

_S.I.S. Alliance_

_58 Guns 305 Souls_

_Orders  
To Cpt. E. Iversen_

_'Intercept any and all ships flying the national colors of Arendelle or the Northern Isles in the waters north of the Isles  
…Sink, Burn or take them as Prize.'_

Captain Erik Iversen stood proudly on the stern of his warship, his white officer's uniform glistening the morning hours. He still had trouble hearing those words together. _His_ ship. After nearly a decade spent working his way up through the ranks in the Southern Isles' navy, he finally achieved his dream of commanding his own boat at the age of thirty-six. Not just any boat at that, the fifty-eight gun _Alliance_ was the second largest warship in the Southern Isles' fleet after the seventy-six gun _Viper_.

Iversen was even more proud of his mission. His ship was the only one taking the fight to the enemy. He had spent the last three days patrolling the shipping lanes between Arendelle and the Northern Isles, but had yet to even see a single sail on the horizon.

Though it was early morning, most of the crew were still asleep. Iversen decided to let his men rest since there was no reason to have them on deck just yet. Only men who were essential to the operation of the vessel were awake and active.

"Sail ho! Starboard side!" The shout came from one of the lookouts perched on the masts. Captain Iversen grabbed his telescope and looked toward where the scout had pointed. Sure enough, he saw the silhouette of a ship heading right for him.

"Ok, wake the men up, get them ready for action." Iversen felt the rush of command surge through his body. "Helmsman, put me on top of them."

"Aye, sir." The helmsman turned the wheel until the _Alliance_ was headed straight for the mystery ship.

"Strike our colors, I don't want to spook her until we're close." The captain ordered as the Southern Isles' flag was removed from the mast.

The next few hours ticked by as the two ships closed on each other. When they were close enough, Iversen could see the Royal Arendelle colors waving in the ocean breeze above the other ship. He still couldn't tell if the other ship was a man-of-war, but if it was, it was far too small to have any real effect on the _Alliance_ should this confrontation come to blows.

"Raise out colors! Let's see how she reacts." Iversen shouted. Within a minute of the flag raising, the smaller ship began to turn and run. Iversen smiled.

_I have you now._

His years of patience and hard work were going to pay off. He was going to capture an enemy ship in enemy waters. He was going to be a hero. Looking through his telescope, he could see the name _Victory_ written in gold lettering on the stern of the smaller vessel.

"Battle stations! Run out the guns! Let 'em know we mean business!" The drumroll echoed over the water. With all guns deployed, the _Alliance _was a sight to behold. Two decks consisting of twenty-four guns each, eight guns on the top deck, plus two forward facing pursuit guns meant the _Alliance_ bristled with firepower.

Iversen expected the small ship to run up the white flag and surrender at the mere sight of _Alliance_'s weaponry. He was shocked when he heard a second drum roll echo across the ocean.

_It's going to fight back?_

The small ship deployed its firepower. It was an almost pathetic sight compared to the _Alliance_'s show of force. Iversen scoffed. This small ship with less than half the firepower and man power was going to try and fight him.

"Fire a warning shot!" The two pursuit guns barked to life and sent two rounds screaming across the water that intentionally missed the smaller ship. The little vessel still did not alter its course.

"Reload! Put a shot in her stern!" One of the guns fired again and sent a round crashing into the captain's cabin at the stern of the _Victory_. The small boat stubbornly refused to alter its course or speed. Iversen gritted his teeth.

_So, this is going to boil down to a gun battle._

He knew that the _Alliance_ had no chance of losing a gunfight against the _Victory_. He just wished the smaller boat would make it easy for him and just surrender. This vessel was practically committing nautical suicide.

_What are you carrying that's worth dying for?_

When the two ships were close enough, Iversen grabbed the amplifier and began to address the captain of the ship who was clearly insane.

"Arendelle Navy Ship _Victory_, this is the Southern Isles' Ship _Alliance_! Stop now and we will spare your lives. If you do not comply, we will have no choice but to destroy you! You have no chance for survival otherwise! Surrender now!"

Iversen was surprised for the second time that day. Instead of raising a white flag, the small ship turned sharply to starboard, bringing her guns into play before the _Alliance_'s even had a target.

"Hard to starboard!" Iversen shouted to the helmsman. The large ship was slow to respond to the order and gave time for the _Victory _to fire the first broadside in the conflict. Most of the shells stuck the _Alliance_ just around the waterline. Large geysers of water leapt from ocean surface as the cannonballs met their targets.

_They're trying to spring a leak_ _in our hull._

The damage report confirmed that several shots had indeed pierced the hull, but it was something the _Alliance_ could survive. By this time, the _Alliance_ was finally parallel with the small _Victory_.

"Fire!"


	5. Don't Feel

Anna didn't see the _Alliance_'s twenty-eight gun broadside ignite in unison. She didn't see the cannonballs rip through _Victory_'s hull and sails. She didn't see the horde of splinters slice through the air like swords to cut flesh. She didn't see the sailors in _Alliance_'s masts strafe the deck of the _Victory_ to kill anything that moved. She didn't see chunks of the _Victory_'s masts blown away by cannons. She didn't see the main mast splinter and collapse like a great felled tree.

She didn't see any of that.

She felt all of it.

Every shudder and vibration of the ship seemed to be amplified in the dark hold. The air was deafening and oppressive with the sound of cannon and small arms fire. She heard several of the _Victory_'s guns fire a second time, but the rest remained silent. She heard the screams of the wounded and dying. The _Alliance_, however, was not about to relent. It continued to pummel the small ship into submission for what felt like hours.

Anna couldn't take it. She just wanted this living hell to end. She cupped her ears in her hands and screamed. It was the only thing she could do. She was powerless before her fate. She had already died once, but she had died _for_ something then. She had died for her sister, she had died for love. Now she was going to die because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She would die for nothing.

Her scream died away as she heard First Mate Olsen's voice from the decks above.

"Leave the guns! Grab small arms and prepare to repel boarders!"

The cannon fire slowly died out to be replaced by musket fire and the clashing of swords and the screams of the defeated.

All Anna could do sit behind these crates and hug her knees to her chest. The ship still seemed to shudder with every gunshot.

_Or is that just me?_

She closed her eyes tightly to stem the flow of tears that she had begun to cry. She gently shook her head from side to side in an attempt to block out the nightmare unfolding above her. The thought of the men who would lose their lives in service to her made the river of tears that much harder to stop. She sat in the darkness, crying and alone, while war raged just feet above her head.

She just couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't feel," she whispered through the sobs.

Her eyes suddenly shot open as her mind registered what she had just said: her sister's old mantra from her days of isolation. She suddenly realized the depths of desperation that would cause someone to speak those words and mean it.

_And Elsa did it for thirteen years._

Before she began to cry out in frustration again, she was interrupted by the sound of someone climbing down into the cargo hold. He carried a small lantern. Anna held her breath and tucked back into the shadows. She could hear whoever this was rummage around the hold looking for something. Anna's curiosity got the better of her. She moved forward to see who this intruder was.

She couldn't get a good look at his face, but she recognized the clothing as an Arendelle sailor and let out a small sigh of relief. As he turned around, Anna recognized his face as well, only now it was smeared with blood.

_Oh, what was his name… Berk? Berg? I think it was Berg._

Her thoughts were interrupted when another party joined the conflict, a man dressed in the crimson uniform of the Southern Isles. Berg, startled, dropped his lantern and attempted to hide, only to trip on a rope and collapse where he stood. Anna ducked back into her hiding place and could hear the boy beg for mercy from the older man. The man said nothing in reply. Anna heard Berg continue to beg for his life.

A loud gunshot broke the tension.

Silence.

Anna did her best to stifle a scream. I was bad enough to _know _the crew was going to die for her, but she didn't want to have to _see_ it too.

_War is hell._

Anna was determined to make the crew's sacrifice worthwhile. She needed to fight back too. She crept out from her hiding spot and saw that the Southern Isles sailor had his back turned, searching through the cargo. Anna stood up and began to move closer, staying as quiet as humanly possible the entire time. She made sure to not look down at the body of young helmsman.

She inched closer still, still undetected. Images of Elsa and Kristoff flashed through her mind. If she was going to die, they would be her final thoughts. Unfortunately, these thoughts distracted her enough to not hear someone else enter the hold.

A swift crack to the back of her head sent her world into darkness.


	6. Letters

Elsa's office was bare. It was her place to get away from people, to clear her mind. Hours of meetings and appointments daily took their tool her physically and emotionally. She didn't understand people, and she knew it. It took all of her strength to just carry on a conversation with a foreign diplomat and to act like she was a normal person. But she wasn't a normal person, and she knew that too. Her powers now were under control, but she still felt nervous around other people. No matter how many times Anna jumped and slid down the banisters, every once in a while she would slip and hurt her ankle. Elsa figured the same principle applied to her, except her slip would have much more lasting consequences.

So, at the end of every day, she would retire to her office to relax and clear her mind. Elsa loved the evenings spent with Anna, but still needed time by herself to recharge. She would read or create small ice sculptures, anything as long as it didn't pertain to queenly duties. There was a time and place for that, but there was also a time for rest.

Now, with Anna gone to the Northern Isles, Elsa realized how much quieter the entire castle became without her. She strode through the halls between the throne room and her office. Anna normally accompanied her through the castle and the pair spent dinner together at the table. Elsa promised Anna that no one could interrupt that time together. After all, they had thirteen years of separation to make up for. On this night, however, Elsa ate alone.

After a light dinner, Elsa retired to her office. She shut the door and pulled her hair out of the braid and let it fall over her back. She switched out of the royal dress into a loose-fitting and casual night gown. To complete her evening, she grabbed her copy of _Robinson Crusoe_ from the shelf and began to read by the fire that crackled in the fireplace.

She had only been reading for about forty-five minutes when she was startled by a swift knock on her office door. Only Anna ever knocked on her officer door at this hour, but that was impossible seeing that Anna would be docking at the Northern Isles now. She put her book down and stood to open the door. She was surprised to see Kai standing on the other side door. Her heart dropped through the floor when she saw the expression on Kai's face. She had seen that same expression before. Four years before.

The wreckage of the _Victory_ was found washed up on the shore by a local fisherman. The ship somehow stayed afloat before it crashed into the shoreline several miles south of Arendelle. All three of the masts were long gone and most of the hull was shattered beyond recognition, but the hull below the waterline remained relatively intact. Evidence showed that someone attempted to start a fire on board, but it somehow didn't take. The most horrific sight at the scene was the bodies. Every member of the crew accounted for. In total, 155 bodies were found in the wreckage. Only one person was not accounted for.

_Anna._

Elsa stood in the remains of the captain's cabin. The deck above was completely gone, so Elsa stood with open air above her. The room was illuminated only by the orange glow of a lantern held by one of the guards who accompanied her to the wreck site. Papers were strewn about the floor, covered by splinters, bits of glass, and other random pieces of debris. She recognized her own handwriting on one of the sheets a bent down to pick it up. It was her letter to the Northern Isles.

_Anna wouldn't have been on this boat had it not been for this sheet of paper._

At least what the paper symbolized. Elsa felt a twinge of guilt at the thought. Before she stood, she saw another sheet out of the corner of her eye. She could recognize Anna's handwriting anywhere. She picked it up and began to read it silently.

_"My Dearest Elsa,_

_I am so sorry that I write to you in these conditions. I know you will probably never read this…"_

Elsa couldn't read anymore; not now at least. She was far too tried and there was still much to be done. It was tradition in Arendelle that if someone died in direct service to the royal family, the monarch would personally write a letter of condolence to the family. Every member of the _Victory_'s crew died in defense of Princess Anna.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Andersen,_

_I am dreadfully sorry to inform you that your son, Hans, was killed in action while manning his station aboard the Royal Ship _A.N.S. Victory_ when it came under attack by an unknown foe. Hans bravely stood his ground against the aggressor and fought to his last breath._

Elsa knew that that last sentence was not true in all cases. Her military advisor informed Elsa that many crew members appeared to have been lined up and executed after surrender. Elsa also felt it would not be her best interest to mention the missing princess. She didn't want panicking subjects.

_Hans will be remembered for his service and will be buried with full honors. I know nothing I can say will take away the pain of losing a family member, but please allow me to offer my deepest condolences to your family for your loss._

_Regards,_

_Her Majesty, Snow Queen Elsa of Arendelle_

Elsa stifled back a tear as she wrote. All her emotions seemed to be at war with each other. She fought down her fears about Anna while trying not to let panic overcome her either. As she thought, she shifted her feet and was surprised to hear a crunching sound. She glanced down to see that a thin layer of frost had formed around her feet and felt a chill go up her spine as she felt the room grow colder.

Suddenly, she heard the floorboards creak near the door. Elsa looked up to see Kristoff standing in the doorway to her office. She hadn't heard him open the door. He rubbed his shoulders with his hands due to the cold in Elsa's office. His blonde hair was unkempt and his eyes were red and his cheeks were wet.

_He's been crying._

Elsa had told Kristoff about Anna's disappearance, of course. She hadn't, however, told him about Anna's letter. Before Kristoff spoke, Elsa realized that Anna's note was out on her desk in plain view. She quickly covered the letter with a book.

"Any news?" Elsa asked hopefully. Kristoff shook his head.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing." Kristoff replied after a pause.

"I'm doing fine for now. These letters are enough to keep my mind occupied for the time being." She glanced down at her hands. "After that though, I don't know." Kristoff moved forward and forced a laugh.

"I know she's fine. She has a knack for getting herself into bad situations, but she has a knack for getting herself out of them as well." Elsa let a small grin crawl across her face.

_He has a point._

Elsa looked up at Kristoff. He was the only family she had right now. She stood up gave him a hug.

"Just tell me she's going to be alright," Elsa whispered through growing tears.

"I know she will be." Elsa heard the uncertainty in his voice. They broke their hug.

"Thank you for coming to check on me, but I really should get back to work, I still have a lot of letters to write," Elsa admitted.

"You're welcome, Elsa." Kristoff wiped a tear from his eye as turned and left the room. As soon as the door closed, Elsa pulled out Anna's letter. She read it over for the sixth time. She could almost feel Anna's fear seep through the paper and cover her hands. She didn't want to read it again and she never wanted Kristoff to ever see it.

_"Don't let this stop you from finding true love. She's out there, I know it."_

She held the letter to the candle on her desk and watched the flames lick the edges of the paper.

_He already found it in you, Anna._

_Wherever you are._


	7. Conceal

**Author's Note:** This is my first real attempt to write a cohesive story. Just saying thanks to the people who have favorited, followed, and reviewed this so far. As long as one person is entertained by this story, I feel it's worthwhile. Please review, I love hearing what people have to say. Anyway, back to the story!

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She is dressed in all white. The train of her dress flowed behind her and glistened with ice in the early morning sun. Elsa stands beside her, admiring her own handiwork. The doors of the cathedral open to the sound of a choir singing an old hymn. She and Elsa step forward out of the sun and into the sanctuary. The multitude of guests turn in unison and gasp at the sight before them. As the pair slowly walk down the aisle, she could only see one thing. Kristoff stands with his hands clasped in front of him in front of the large stained glass window at the front of the church. He's not even trying to contain the smile on his face. Neither is she for that matter. She reaches the steps up to where Kristoff stands, turns to give Elsa a hug, and begins to ascend the stairs to join him. They speak their vows and confirm their "I do's." He leans in for the kiss…

_Pain._

Anna's eyes fluttered open and she let a small groan escape her lips. She tried to sit up, but the sharp pain in her head kept her still. She reached her hand up to her head and felt a bandage wrapped around her skull. It didn't help with the pain though. A quick glance around her environment revealed that she was still on ship and still staying in what seemed to be the captain's cabin. This cabin, however, was larger and more ornate than the one on board the _Victory_. A large map of the waters around the Isles hung on the wall next to her. The bed she was laying in was larger and far more comfortable than one would expect on a sailing vessel. The room was dark as it appeared to be night outside. The only source of light was a lantern resting on the large desk in the corner.

"Ah, you're awake." Anna's heart nearly skipped a beat as she eyed the figure she just now noticed sitting next to the desk.

"Welcome to the _Alliance_," the figure continued as he rose from his chair. He wore a white uniform that reminded Anna all too much of the uniform Prince Hans wore during their first encounter. His dark brown hair and eyes appeared black in the dark cabin.

"I am Captain Iversen of His Majesty's Navy." He continued to approach her. Anna managed to lift herself into a sitting position before he continued.

"Now that you know who I am, you could return the favor by telling me who you are."

_They don't know I'm the princess._

Anna quickly decided to exploit her one remaining advantage.

"Joan," she replied. "Joan Augustin. Captain Augustin was my father," she finished in a low voice. She was secretly pleased with herself for coming up with the lie so quickly. The _Alliance_'s captain seemed to be none the wiser to her deception.

"Well, Ms. Augustin, you will be pleased to know your father fought bravely and honorably. He had a great sense of style as well, I might add." With those last words he tapped the sword that hung from his belt. Anna felt rage boil inside her when she recognized it immediately. The sword was unique in its intricate snowflake design engraved into the hilt.

_Elsa gave him that sword when she gave him command of the _Victory.

"What happened to the crew?" Anna wanted to know of any survivors. Iversen's face twisted into a worried expression.

"How do I put this? There will be a multitude of military funerals in Arendelle over the next few days." The shock and sadness that grew in Anna's eyes let Iversen know she knew exactly what he meant. Anna felt guilt rise in her heart for surviving.

_I know they deserved life more than me. I already had my second chance._

"Why am I _here_ then? I should be buried with them!" Anna felt her guilt transform to anger once again.

"The men wouldn't kill a girl," Iversen responded calmly.

"But they're willing to commit a massacre without a second thought. You and your men have very selective morals, don't you?" Anna accused.

"Why were you on that ship to begin with, Ms. Augustin?" The captain snapped back. "Arendelle naval ships don't normally travel with women on board."

Anna hadn't thought through her ruse that far. Her mind raced for a logical explanation.

"I asked to go." Anna admitted to herself that she could have come up with something better. Iversen didn't seem to suspect her reply, so she continued. "I wanted to see what my father did. We weren't supposed to come under attack." She glared at the captain. "Why _did_ you attack us? We weren't a threat to you. It wasn't a fair fight."

"Haven't you learned by now that life is _not_ fair?" the captain shot back. "Victory goes to those who prepare for it. The _Alliance_ was built to win and it won. That's just the way life is, miss, get used to it." His faced moved within inches of Anna's as he spoke. "Why was your ship in these waters anyway?" he inquired.

"I don't know!" Anna covered. "My father didn't tell me. He just let me tag along. He said it was 'official business.'" She raised her hands in air quotes as she spoke. "But it couldn't have been too important or he wouldn't have let me come." Iversen raised an eyebrow at her response. In a rare moment of prudence, Anna decided to shift his attention from her "backstory" before she said something she couldn't cover for.

"What's going to happen to me now?" Anna finally asked the question that had been nagging in the back of her mind.

"Now, that's out of my hands," Iversen replied as stood back up. "I can't decide what the fate of my prisoners is, but most likely you will be sent to the prisoner of war camp. It's where most go. You'll be the first prisoner from Arendelle we've caught alive, you know."

_That'll make it hard to blend in, won't it?_

"Land, ho!" The shout came from the deck outside. Iversen turned toward the door of his cabin at the sound of it.

"But we'll find out your fate shortly, won't we, Ms. Augustin?" the captain stated as he left the cabin. Anna heard the door lock with a click.

_Well, now what?_


	8. The Council

**Author's Note:** Ok, as of writing this chapter, I know how the rest of the story will pan out. I don't know all the details, but I know the basic actions and the ending. It's looking like it's gonna be 18 chapters in total. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks!

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News of the _Victory_'s destruction spread like wildfire throughout the surrounding regions. The Southern Isles was quick to accept responsibility for the attack. However, Southern Isles propaganda seemed to put the attack as far closer to Arendelle than it actually was, exaggerating the reach of their navy. Elsa poured over all the propaganda she could find, hoping for some word of her sister. She was concerned that not one piece so much as mentioned Anna. If the Southern Isles had captured a member of Arendelle's royal family, wouldn't that have made front page new in every paper there?

A week passed since Anna's disappearance, and there was still no word of her whereabouts. The week was a somber one. Elsa organized a memorial service for the fallen sailors at the castle that all of Arendelle was invited to attend. As mourners gathered in the courtyard, Elsa gathered herself in her office. Normally her office was a place to relax, but not on this day. She had been somehow talked into giving the eulogy for the crew. Prime Minister Rolf felt that the people would begin to think something was wrong if neither member of the royal family made an appearance. Anna's disappearance was still kept a secret from the royal subjects. They knew that she was gone, but the official story was that she was visiting another kingdom on the mainland. That kept rumors that she was on the _Victory_ at bay.

Elsa read over her statements for the hundredth time. They had been prepared by a member of her council. Someone who was far more eloquent than she. Someone who knew the right words to say during such an occasion. All she had to do was deliver those words with the same emotion that they were written with. For Elsa, that was far easier said than done. After thirteen years of repressing all her emotions, just the simple act of expressing genuine sadness for someone else required great effort.

She paced back and forth in her office until she heard her name called out. She slowly walked out onto the balcony overlooking the gathered crowds. She looked over the mass, all dressed in black, as they bowed in unison. She raised her hand as a sign she was about to speak. The crowd stood back up.

Everyone in attendance agreed that Elsa's speech would have brought a tear to even the most cynical person's eye. She offered her condolences to the families and assured the people that Arendelle would not let the attack go unanswered. Elsa guaranteed that the memories of the fallen would not fade away, but would live on, driving them forward. Her words were spoken in a soft, calm voice that projected confidence and leadership.

As Elsa retired back into her office at the conclusion of her speech, she couldn't help but smile a bit on the inside. The Elsa of even six months ago would have never been able to pull that off. On the outside, however, she kept her regal demeanor.

_I think I might be able to do this._

The next day, Elsa met with her council to discuss what Arendelle's retaliation would be. There was also the issue of a missing princess to discuss as well. Elsa walked into the council chambers to find everyone already waiting for her. Elsa took a seat at the head of the table. Her military advisor, Vilhelm, sat to her left. The medals pinned to his dark green uniform glistened in the light from the window. Next to him sat the economics advisor Stefan. He was a short, round little man, but still looked quite handsome in his suit. The next seat was occupied by the tall form of Ludvig, Arendelle's foreign ambassador. Prime Minister Rolf sat directly across from Elsa. The judicial advisor, Elias, sat next to him and Philip, her public relations advisor, rounded out the council. Philip had been the one who wrote her successful speech the day before.

Elsa called the meeting to order.

"What action can Arendelle take to avenge the _Victory_?" Elsa asked to no one in particular. The men glanced around the table at each other before Vilhelm stood to speak.

"Your Majesty, I am sorry to report that Arendelle's military strength is not enough to strike a decisive blow against the Southern Isles. Our military is just too small."

"You don't need to win a major battle, Vilhelm," Elsa countered, "you just need to strike a blow. Even if it's small, the people will at least see us doing something in this war."

"But, Your Majesty, we do not have the manpower or firepower." Vilhelm continued. "With the _Victory_ gone, we only have two functional warships left: the _Concord_ and the _Arendelle_. Granted, both of them are far bigger than the _Victory_, and together would stand a chance against the _Alliance_. But we aren't facing the _Alliance_ on its own. The Southern Isles has more warships and they have the _Viper_, which trumps even the _Alliance_ in firepower. There is no way for a warship from Arendelle to get within cannon shot of the Isles without getting blown to kingdom come, especially if the _Alliance_ is prowling the waters north of the Isles."

Elsa was now deep in thought, an idea forming in her head. Vilhelm took his eat again.

"Ok, we'll get back to that," she decided. "Has there been any word at all about Anna?" The crestfallen expressions on all present told her all she needed to know.

"Your Majesty," Stefan interjected, "might it be time to accept the fact that she is lost at sea?" He immediately regretted his statement as Elsa shot him an icy stare.

"Anna didn't give up on me when every single one of you did. Do you really think I'd give up her that quickly? No other bodies were lost at sea, why would hers? Until we hear differently, Anna is alive." Elsa spoke with a quiet yet forceful tone to get her point across.

"Queen Elsa," Rolf broke his silence, "You have no proof that she is alive, and no way of knowing where she is to begin a search."

"Fine then, it's decided." Elsa stated calmly. "I will lead a force to take the fight to the Southern Isles." Her proposal was met with shocked faced and a collective gasp from the council.

"What, why!?" Rolf asked, barely keeping his voice barely below a yell.

"Simple," Elsa kept her voice to same calm tone, "My powers could easily even the odds a fight," She replied looking at Vilhelm. She turned her attention to Prime Minister Rolf, "and if Anna wasn't on the _Victory_, it means she left on the _Alliance_. Which means she will be somewhere in the Southern Isles."

Anger rose in Rolf's face.

"Your Majesty, can I talk to you. Alone." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Fine," Elsa replied. The pair stood from the table and moved to another room. Rolf slammed the door as soon as they were both inside.

"What was the meaning of that!" he shouted. Elsa kept her calm demeanor. It was easy after thirteen years of practice.

"I meant exactly what I said," she replied. The answer only made Rolf more furious.

"You swore an oath before this council that you would never use your powers in a military capacity. Would you so quickly renounce that oath?" His tone was calmer, but the anger was still present in his features.

"My father told me that when I was queen, one day I would be forced to choose the lesser of two evils. Which is the greater evil; breaking one promise I made to five people, or not pursuing our one chance to end this war and get Anna back? The choice is quite simple Mr. Prime Minister." Elsa felt confident she had proved her point, but Rolf was not about to back down.

"If you use your powers to kill, the people will see you as a monster. Just imagine how enemy propaganda will twist it. It is just not worth it, Your Majesty." Elsa had admittedly not thought about that, but her mind was set.

"Anna is worth it," she retorted. "She would go through hell and back for me. In fact, she nearly did! I would be a failure to her as a sister if I would not do the same. Besides, as your queen, I outrank you."

Rolf knew that there was no way to change her mind at this point. They left the room as Rolf grumbled under his breath. The rest of the meeting was short but heated. Elsa reaffirmed her reasons for her proposal, and eventually all members conceded. It didn't matter if they had. As queen, Elsa could have gone forward with her plan anyway, but it was a formality to take a vote.

Of course, her notion passed. She retired to her office, where the cracks in her indifferent exterior began to reveal themselves. She couldn't think, she couldn't calm down. It had been a heat-of-the-moment decision.

_It was an Anna decision._

Elsa knew in her heart it was the right thing to do. The little voices of doubt and fear, however, would not leave her in peace. Could she really lead an army? Could she really find Anna? Could she really _kill_? The last one ate at her more than any of the others. She sat in her chair and attempted to read, but could not calm her mind. Small sheets of ice still formed over some of the pages, though she quickly made them evaporate.

She finally resorted to walking out onto the balcony. The fresh breeze mixed with the sounds of chirping birds and the ocean succeeded in calming her mind to the point she could think. She breathed slowly, looked to sky and prayed to the powers-that-be that her mission would be successful.

_Oh, God, I hope I can do this._


	9. The Camp

**Author's** **Note:**  
To respond to a review by NarwhalWarlord: As undeniably awesome a scene involving a polar bear cavalry would be, it sadly doesn't fit into the story I'm trying to tell, sorry.  
Anyway, please review! I love seeing people's opinions.

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Anna had learned to talk slowly. She always had a tendency to speak before she thought, but that would probably get her killed here. Acting before thinking _did_ get killed before, so she didn't want to repeat that here. When she slowed her speech down, she found that she could weave an intricate but logically sound web of lies.

_My name is Joan Isabella Augustin. I'm twenty years old. My birthday is April 10__th__. I got a pet dog from my father on my twelfth birthday. The dog's name was Sven. I have a younger brother by the name of Rudolf. He will be seventeen in a month. My mother's name was Henriette, though she died two years ago. Remember to cry a little when you mention her._

She survived a whole week of interrogations with that story. Now she was being moved to a more permanent facility.

The wagon she was riding in stopped. The Southern Isles guards on either side of her stood and pulled her to her feet by the chains and shackles that bound her. The locked door of the wagon was opened from the outside by a third guard. Anna had to squint her eyes as she exited the wagon due to the bright noonday sun. When her eyes finally adjusted to the intensity of the light, Anna looked up to see her new home.

The Ragnvald Prisoner of War Camp looked more like a fort than a camp. It was located in one of the few flat areas on the most remote isle in the Southern Isles. Anna had spent several hours in the brig of a ship just to get here. The gates opened with a creak as the posse around Anna approached. The camp itself consisted of a central path with barracks branching off from it. The path led from the main gate to a parade field at the far end of the compound. The wall surrounding the camp seemed to tower over Anna's head as they passed through the gate. The wall had armed guards patrolling along the top and the corners had parapets which housed large cannons. What concerned Anna the most was that the guns were facing inward rather that outward.

The guards pushed her forward and turned her into the first barrack on the right of the gate. Anna briefly saw the word "WOMEN" written above the door. Inside the barrack, it was sectioned off into rooms. Anna could see that each room had a bunk bed and a closet as she passed open doors. The central hallway was almost completely dark due to the lack of lights or windows.

_At least the rooms have a window._

She was lead to the last room on the left. One of the guards opened the door and Anna caught her first glimpse of her new roommate. She was a younger girl, Anna assumed around sixteen, with jet black hair. She sat on the lower bunk of the bed and wore the same clothes as Anna: the standard issue dark gray dress given to all female prisoners. Anna and the girl silently stared at each other while the guard unlocked Anna's restraints.

"Enjoy your stay," one of the guards jeered as the trio moved back down the hallway and left the barrack. Anna continued to stand in the doorway to her new home, not talking. Her new roommate did the same. After an awkward couple of seconds, the younger girl stood up, marched over to Anna, and forcefully held her hand out to Anna.

"Hi, I'm Rebekka! You can just call me 'Bekka.' What's your name?" she greeted warmly. Anna looked down out the outstretched hand and then back up at the smiling face. Rebekka's hazel eyes stared at her hopefully.

"Uh, Joan," Anna was so surprised by the sudden outpouring of niceness that she nearly forgot her cover story. She extended her hand to take Rebekka's. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, same," Rebekka replied. She let out a small laugh escape.

_It's been far too long since I've heard that._

"How are you so happy? You're in a prison camp, Rebekka." Anna had never heard herself be that pessimistic before.

_Maybe that's what a week of interrogations will do to you._

Anna saw Rebekka's smile fade slightly.

"I'm happy _because_ I'm in a prison camp. If I let that kind of pessimism control me, this place would be a living hell. So I stay positive and try to make friends, like you!" Her face lit up again with her last statement.

"So, how did you end up here?" Anna decided to learn some things about her new friend.

"About five months ago, I was taking a ferry between two of the islands when we got attacked by a Southern Isles' warship. Well, _attacked_ is a strong word. It was more like they ran up the Southern Isles' flag and our captain surrendered on sight," she looked to the floor. "Damn coward," she mumbled under her breath. "Anyway, how'd you get here?"

"I was on ship from Arendelle. My father was the captain. We got practically ambushed by a really big Southern Isles warship. We tried to fight back. It was a bloodbath." Anna recalled, fighting back a tear. Rebekka's eyes widened.

"You're from Arendelle? Was there anyone else from your ship who was captured?"

"To answer your first question: yes. To answer your second one: no." Anna looked to the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Joan. Hey, at least your father wasn't a coward. He at least tried to fight the bastards back." Rebekka had a look of defiance about her. "Anyway, I don't think there's been a single prisoner from Arendelle here so far, we're all from the Northern Isles."

"Yeah, so I've been told," Anna replied. "Do… Do you have a family?" Anna hoped she hadn't stumbled on a tender subject.

"Yeah, a mother and older brother," Rebekka conceded. "There're still back on the Isles. My mother is a seamstress and my brother's in the army. My dad died three years ago in a fishing accident." Anna was dumbfounded how open this girl was with a complete stranger.

_She's just like I was a year ago._

Anna admitted to herself she had let her optimism slide since the war began, and especially since she was captured.

"Do _you_ have a family?" Rebekka asked.

"Yeah, a younger brother. My mother died two years ago and my father died when the ship went down." Anna felt guilty for lying to Rebekka. She had become so used to lying in the past week, why did she suddenly feel guilty now? There was something about this girl that made her want to be truthful.

"I bet your brother misses you." Rebekkah broke Anna concentration.

"I'm sure he does. He probably doesn't even know I'm alive." She let out a sigh. The thought of Elsa believing she was dead was almost too much to bear. "We had kinda grown apart, but in the last year, we had really started to reconnect. It… it was so nice." Anna suddenly realized that she was just staring off into the distance. She turned her attention back to Rebekka. "Well, we can only hope we'll see them again soon."

"Yeah, I can't wait," Rebekka agreed. A loud bell all of a sudden began to toll outside.

"Come on, it's time for roll call." Rebekka said as she grabbed Anna's arm as they left the room. "They wanna make sure no one escaped. They do it every morning and night. You'll get used to it." By this time, the pair were out of the barracks and heading down the path to the parade field. They were joined by the horde of other prisoners making their way there too.

As Rebekka led Anna to their places, Anna leaned in and asked, "Has anyone tried to escape before?"

"Yeah, him." Rebekka pointed to the stage at the center of the grounds. Anna eyes widened when she saw the skeleton hanging from the scaffolding.

_Oh, God, help me get through this._


	10. Broken Alliance

**Author's**** Note: **Please review! I love seeing how people react to this!

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_A.N.S. Arendelle_

_44 Guns 235 Souls_

_Royal Orders  
To Cpt. V. Gunne_

_'Along with the ANS CONCORD, accompany her Majesty, QUEEN ELSA OF ARENDELLE, to port in the Northern Isles and wait there until further instructions.'_

The captain called it a "rolling broadside". The guns at the bow of the ship barked to life, sending large clouds of white smoke rolling over the ocean. The shells could be heard impacting the water several hundred yards away, sending columns of water rocketing into the sky. Once the first guns fired, the next one further back would fire, then the next, and then the next. The _Arendelle_ was a two-decker warship, so two cannons fired at a time. By the time the broadside reached the stern of the _Arendelle_, the guns at the bow had reloaded.

Elsa watched the sailors practice their handling of the large guns. The sailors scrambled to reload the weapons in time to run out and fire again in sequence. The Captain Gunne stood beside her and his first mate stood next to him. The whole ship shuddered as each cannon discharged. Elsa kept one hand on the railing to steady herself. The first mate held a stopwatch in his hand, timing the exercise. The guns suddenly fell silent.

"Guns complete, sir!" The yell came from the deck below. The first mate clicked the stopwatch and smiled at the result.

"One minute and twenty-four seconds!" He yelled back down the hatch. A cheer went up from the gun crews. This was the third time going through this drill. The captain demanded that the crew be able to fire two full broadsides in less than one-and-a-half minutes. The crew had finally hit their mark. Gunne smiled at his crew's achievement as well.

"I do believe an extra ration is in order for the men tonight." He smiled at Elsa. Elsa barely returned the gesture. She was still getting used to navy life and didn't find her uniform at all comfortable either. She had forsaken the royal garments for something that blended in more with the military environment by wearing a dark blue dress that dropped to her ankles, while the torso closely resembled a naval officer's uniform. She kept her hair in its normal braid, but let it hang over her back as opposed to over her shoulder.

The gun crews began to clean the guns and sing an old Arendelle folk song while Elsa walked back into the captain's cabin to clear her mind. She sat at the desk and stared at the map of their course to the Northern Isles. Her mind was still tormented by voices of self-doubt in her head. She hoped that she wasn't leading these brave men to their death. Elsa had already promised herself that she would _not_ use her powers to kill; she knew she wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of that. She still had the recurring nightmare of killing Anna occasionally.

_I can still even the odds without killing._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the cabin door. Elsa didn't have time to speak when the breathless young lieutenant quickly saluted and began to talk.

"Your Majesty, a sail was spotted on the horizon. Looks like a heavy frigate, mam." He spat the words out so quickly that Elsa stood in the doorway for several seconds processing the information.

_"Heavy frigate". The Alliance._

Elsa rushed toward the bow of the ship where the captain and first mate waited for her. The first mate gave Elsa his telescope and pointed to the area of water on the horizon. Elsa could see the outline of a ship coming straight for them. The combined force of the _Concord _and _Arendelle_ outgunned the _Alliance_, but Elsa didn't want to scare the enemy ship off. The answers she was looking for were on that vessel.

"Have the _Concord_ pull back," she stated as she turned toward the captain. "I want that ship to think it has a firepower advantage."

"Yes, your Majesty." The first mate saluted and went aft to signal the _Concord_. Elsa returned to her telescope to see that _Alliance_, if it truly was the _Alliance_, had not shifted course. As the next hour passed, it became obvious that their opponent was indeed the _Alliance_. Her crimson hull and matching flag were clearly evident in Elsa's telescope. Elsa stayed on the bow of the _Arendelle_, her plan taking shape in her mind.

When the two ships were close, Elsa prepared for the fight. She retired to the captain's cabin and put her belt and scabbard around her waist. The sword was more for show, but was still sharp for self-defense purposes. The pistol was even more for show. She took special precautions to make sure it was unloaded, but she could use it to bluff her way out of a pinch. As she looked at herself in the mirror, making small adjustments to her uniform, she was shocked at how adult she looked. It had only been a year since the war had started, but she looked at least five years older than she really was.

_Maybe it's just the uniform._

Elsa glanced at the small framed portrait of her father she had set on the desk. The depiction showed him in full military uniform, just as she was now. He father never fought a war, but the picture still gave her a sense of encouragement.

The _Alliance_ and _Arendelle_ called battle stations at nearly the same time. Elsa calmly walked to the bow again through the throng of sailors running to their posts. Both ships had their guns ready. Elsa stood at the bow of the _Arendelle_ and closed her eyes. She had most control over her power when she thought of the person she loved the most.

_Anna._

Elsa opened her eyes again. The _Alliance _was heading straight for them and looked quite menacing with its guns bearing down on the _Arendelle_. Elsa turned and nodded to the captain. It was time. As she raised her arms, a thick layer of ice began to creep up the sides of the _Alliance_. The ice covered the entire hull within seconds and sealed all of the _Alliance_'s gun ports with a thick sheet of ice, rendering the ship defenseless.

The _Alliance_ was moving too fast to alter course now, especially with the added weight of the ice covering its hull. On cue, sailors from the _Arendelle_ threw grappling hooks onto the _Alliance_ and pulled the two ships side-by-side. Elsa leapt down from the bow and led the first boarding party across the boarding planks, sword drawn. She was greeted almost immediately by musket shot from a Southern Isles sharpshooter aimed at her chest. Before it reached her, however, the musket ball collided with an ice shield Elsa erected in front of her. The ice cracked in a spider web pattern from the impact point, but did not shatter. The sight of that alone caused many Southern Isles mariners to surrender on sight, the rest followed suit when more sailors from the _Arendelle_ stormed the _Alliance_. Elsa pulled her pistol from her belt put it to the temple of the nearest prisoner. She admitted that it was unnecessary, but she needed to be taken seriously, and this was certainly a fast way to do it.

"The captain?" Elsa inquired as she pressed the gun into his head.

"In his cabin!" the sailor replied with fear while pointing in the direction of the captain's cabin. Elsa gestured for two _Arendelle_ sailors to follow her. She reached the door and placed her hand on the handle, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. The captain sat behind a desk in the middle of the cabin with his sword laid out on the desk. Elsa stepped into the room and checked the corners to make sure there was no one else there.

"So, they let the witch out of her cage, did they?" the captain said quietly.

"What?" Elsa replied. She had heard what he said, she was just giving him a chance to change his statement.

"I said, they finally let the _witch_ out of her cage, didn't they?" the captain repeated. He pushed the sword toward Elsa. "For your pains, _your Majesty_," he jeered sarcastically. Elsa took the sword and immediately recognized it as the one she had given to Captain Augustin. She fought to keep her anger down as she turned her attention to the man sitting before her.

"You have some information that I want." Elsa replied calmly.

"And what on earth has possessed you to think that I'll tell you anything?" the captain taunted.

"This," Elsa answered while pulling her pistol on the captain. The captain was obviously flustered, but tried to remain nonchalant.

"Do you think threatening me with that will change my mind?" he retorted.

"Ok, how about this?" Elsa placed her hand on the table and intentionally let frost form around it. Now she had the captain's full attention. She kept the gun trained on him as she asked, "What happened to the _Victory_?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He voice was breaking.

"I said," Elsa cocked the pistol, "what happened to the _Victory_. Were there any survivors?"

"I don't know!" He was scared. Elsa needed something to push him over the edge.

"Tell me!" Elsa let some pent up rage out as she slammed her fist into the table, letting a layer of ice cover most of the table.

"Ok! Ok! I'll talk!" the captain screeched. His voice was higher pitched than normal. "There was this girl! A… a redhead! She said her name was… oh, what was it? Joan! She said her name was Joan! She's a prisoner on the Isles! I swear to God that's all I know!"

"Thank you." Elsa's voiced had returned to its normal calm. She raised the pistol and pulled the trigger. She smiled when the captain flinched as the flintlock clicked. The captain had a look of shock on his face when he realized it was all a bluff. Elsa turned to the guards. "Lock this man and the rest of the crew in the brig. We'll drop them off at the Northern Isles when we get there."

_Hiding in plain sight, huh, 'Joan'?_


	11. Familiar Faces

**Author's Note:** Please review! I love hearing your comments!

* * *

"Joan! Joan, wake up! We have to go _now_!" Rebekka violently shook Anna until the older girl finally woke up.

"Huh? Wha… what is Bekka?" Anna mumbled through her drowsiness. Anna had taken the top bunk in their room. The younger girl stood on her bunk to shake Anna awake.

"They just rung the bell. It's time for roll call," Rebekka replied. Anna pried herself from her pillow and jumped from the bunk to the floor. Rebekka let out a small laugh.

"What is it?" Anna questioned.

"Your _hair_!" the younger girl replied through laughs. "I've never anyone's hair look _that_ bad in the morning. Here, let me braid it quick so it'll look better." After Anna's hair was placed back into braids, the two girls had to run to the parade field to be on time. They stood with the rest of their barrack as their names were called out one-by-one. After roll call was complete, the commandant of the camp, a man simply referred to as Emil, stood on the stage at the center of the parade ground. The expression on Rebekka's face told Anna that this was not normal. Emil began to talk in his booming voice.

"Today, this camp will be inspected by some high ranking members in the Southern Isles. As your reward for your good behavior while they are here, and I _do_ expect good behavior, you will hear an update of the war beyond these walls. That is all." As Emil left the platform, the inmates began to shuffle back to their respective barracks.

On the walk back, Rebekka leaned over to Anna and whispered, "If you ask me, that 'update' will be little more than propaganda bull crap." Anna couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Anna sighed. She had never been able to talk like this with anyone before. Elsa preferred to speak in more formal speech while Kristoff was always too reserved to use the vocabulary this girl did. It was refreshing. The two girls made it back to their room and decided to stay there until the midday meal. They didn't need to see the Southern Isles' inspection party anyway. Rebekka continued to tell Anna stories from her childhood on the Northern Isles. Stories about how much trouble she would get in and how much trouble she was able to avoid because of her size and apparent talent for unnoticed burglary. Anna did her best to keep her laugh down as Rebekka relayed a story from when she was ten and she successfully stole a kid goat from a farmer, actions and all.

"And I swear, I walked out just inches behind him. He had no idea I was even there!" Rebekka told Anna as she mimed holding the struggling goat while tiptoeing behind an invisible farmer. "I snuck in the next night to give it back of course. I don't reckon he even knew it ever gone!" Both girls laughed hard. "So, Joan, what's it like to have a queen who could freeze you on the spot?" Rebekka asked Anna when the laughter had lessened.

"Oh, Bekka, she's not like that at all. She's really sweet when you get to know her." Anna replied, still fighting back laughter. Rebekka's eyes widened.

"You know the Queen?" She asked, astounded. Anna realized too late that she might have said too much. She quickly found an excuse.

"Si… since my father was a navy man, we'd be invited to the castle every once in a while. I met her once. We talked. She's just a normal person who just happens to have a magic power," Anna covered.

"Ugh, I'd give anything just to be able to go to a ball at a castle. Ya know, dress up and stuff. We've always been too poor to ever have fancy clothes, or anything fancy for that matter," Rebekka plopped down on her bed as she spoke. Anna sat down next to her.

"Well, Bekka, when we make it home, maybe I can talk to the Queen. We can have a ball in your honor!" Anna said with a laugh.

"Yeah, _right_, Joan," Rebekka returned with sarcasm. Anna laughed again.

_I'm not kidding, Rebekka._

As the pair continued to talk, the bell tolled again. Midday meal. The "update" would come right after. The food they served Anna believed could hardly be classified as food. She had eaten some of Kristoff's concoctions, but those were practically gourmet compared to the slop she forced herself to keep down here. After the meal, all the prisoners moved back out to the parade ground for the war update. Anna continued to talk with Rebekka even as they reached their places. Not until then did Anna look up to the stage. There were several important looking people sitting in chairs behind a podium that had been set up earlier that day. Anna looked at the visitors.

The first was a very large man, but the medals on his uniform suggested that he was at one time a war hero. The man sitting to his left was almost a complete contrast to the first. He was tall and lanky and didn't wear any military insignia, though his suit was no less expensive. The third man was normal in build, but had a thick black beard and a general's uniform. The final man was…

_Oh, no. It can't be. That dark red hair. Those green eyes. Those sideburns._

_Hans._

Of all the people Anna could have possibly come into contact with on the Isles, Prince Hans was the only one who could positively identify her as the Princess of Arendelle. Anna felt her heart speed up and she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Joan. Joan!" Rebekka's light punch to her arm snapped Anna out of her panic. "What's wrong with you? You look like you just saw a ghost," she continued.

"No, I'm fine. Just kinda zoned out, I guess," Anna replied. It couldn't have been farther from the truth. All the prisoners were asked to sit where the stood. As Anna sat down, she saw Hans stand up. He was the one who was give the update. Hans walked to the podium and produced some papers. He first addressed the mass before him and made a terrible joke about how he wouldn't mind making the camp his summer home. No one laughed. Hans cleared his throat before he continued.

"I am pleased to report that you all will be going home shortly! The forces of the Southern Isles will soon overrun the North and it still seems like that witch of a queen in Arendelle will still do nothing to help your people." Hans seemed so smug as he spoke. "Oh, where are my manners, I hear we have a citizen from Arendelle here with us today! Where are you?" Hans scanned the crowd.

Anna was too shocked to move. Her heart beat too fast. This was the end of the line. She would have to stand and reveal herself before everyone. She was just about to move when Rebekka suddenly stood.

"Ah, there you are!" Hans yelled. "What's your name?"

"My name Joan Augustin! I'm here because you bastards sunk my father's ship!" Rebekka yelled right back. Anna kept her head down. Hans' full attention was on Rebekka, but a slight shift to the right would expose her.

"Woah now, miss. No need to get upset!" Hans replied. "Your father took up arms against the might of our navy, he must've known he was bound to lose." He suddenly shifted to a far more hostile tone. "Now sit back down." Rebekka did as told, a self-satisfied smile plastered over her face.

The rest of Hans' speech was indeed propaganda bullcrap. Everything seemed so exaggerated and overblown. Anna knew the war was far from over. It certainly wouldn't be over in a week. After the speech, Anna and Rebekka headed back to their room. Anna was careful to not run into Hans again. Once they were back home, Anna asked the question that had been nagging at her.

"Bekka, why did you stand up when he asked for me?"

"Well, when you're in a prisoner of war camp, you don't get many chances to fight back. I saw a chance to make that prince guy look like an idiot by talking to the wrong person, even if he didn't know it himself. Any act of defiance, no matter how inconsequential, is worth taking," she replied.

_Oh, Bekka, it was far more consequential than you could possibly know._


	12. Worth It

**Author's**** Note: **Please review. I love hearing people's opinions on this story.

* * *

The _Arendelle_, _Concord_, and newly christened _ANS Alliance_ were in sight of the Northern Isles. Elsa didn't know exactly what to do once they were there, but she knew that she would need to speak to the king immediately. With the _Alliance _now in friendly hands, only one ship stood between Elsa and complete domination of the ocean, the _SIS Viper_. Elsa knew that her small force would need reinforcements to either take or destroy it. Once the large man-of-war was gone though, there would be nothing to stop an invasion of the Southern Isles. It was the first glimmer of hope that the war could be won.

When the ships docked, stories of how Elsa captured the _Alliance _without firing a shot spread throughout the town. Each iteration added to and embellished the story. Elsa heard one version that claimed the _Alliance_ surrendered just at the mere sight of Elsa on the _Arendelle_. While Elsa didn't like these lies being spread, she also realized that they were boosting the moral in the Northern Isles and would make her name feared in the Southern Isles.

_Maybe the entirety of the Southern Isles will surrender at the sight of me._

Once the prisoners from the _Alliance _were transferred into the hands of the Northern Isles' military, Elsa was informed via a courier that the King of the Northern Isles wished to have a meeting with her. She thanked the courier and told him to tell the king that she would visit him before sundown. Elsa felt the voices of doubt that had been repressed since her victory return. She had never met face to face with a foreign diplomat alone. She always had at least one member of her council with her to make sure her actions were right. None of them were here now.

As promised, Elsa arrived at the castle before sundown. She was led by a servant to the throne room. The throne room of the Northern Isles was far larger and more ornate than Elsa's throne room in Arendelle. Elsa's throne was made of wood and leather, while the throne that King Sebastian now sat in was covered in gold and jewels. Elsa curtsied before him.

King Sebastian was a large, heavy-set man with a loud laugh and a good sense of humor. He was a good king and was loved and respected by his subjects. He embodied royalty. Elsa, on the other hand, looked far from royalty in her military dress. She had no alternative though, this was a military mission.

After she finished her curtsy, Elsa stood tall in front of Sebastian.

"I hear you took the _Alliance_ singlehandedly. Without firing a shot, no less. That quite impressive, Your Majesty." Sebastian stated in his jovial voice.

"Sir, most of the stories you have heard have been exaggerated a little. The crew of the _Arendelle_ captured the _Alliance_. Not me," Elsa replied, not wanting to appear arrogant.

"All the same," Sebastian continued, "it was an impressive feat. Now, what business do you have here?"

"I need supplies and men," Elsa replied flatly. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I intend to hit the Southern Isles in the heart. I want to attack Notodden." Mentioning the Southern Isles' capital city peaked Sebastian's interest.

"How do you intend to get there with your ships?" He asked. "You only have crew enough to man two ships and fight with them. The _Viper_ ports in Notodden. She will blow you out of the water when you get there."

"That's exactly why I need your help," Elsa countered. "I realize Arendelle has not been there for the Northern Isles enough, but if you help us now, we can win this war together. I need a crew for the _Alliance_ and more ground troops for the invasion, along with any of your smaller ships."

"Northern Isles crew; Northern Isles ship." Sebastian smiled as he proposed his deal. He wanted the _Alliance_ as compensation. Elsa wanted to fight it. Her men risked their lives to capture that ship. Could she just give it up that quickly? As she thought, the words of her father echoed in her mind.

_When she was seven, before she hurt Anna and shut her out, Elsa and Anna played all the time. Elsa loved it. The four-year-old Anna, however, had just developed her tendency to get a little stubborn at times. She would horde the toys and refuse to let Elsa play with any of them. One time, Elsa got so upset with Anna that she yelled at her, waking up her parents at an ungodly hour of the morning. Her father came out and began to talk to Elsa. She told him that Anna wouldn't let her play with any of toys. Her father thought about the issue before turning back to Elsa and asking one question._

_"Is it worth it, Elsa?"_

_Elsa didn't know what that meant at the time, so her father explained. He asked Elsa if the toys were more important to her than her sister. Elsa quickly shook her head no. _

_"Then is it worth it to risk losing Anna over these toys? Anna might not want to play right now, but she will later, I promise. You just have to let these little things go and don't let them distract you from the important ones."_

Some of her father's words became painfully ironic the next year when he separated the two sisters, but they never left Elsa's memory. The bragging rights over a ship was a little thing. Ending a war that was costing lives was an important thing.

"Okay," Elsa stated after a moment of silence. "You can have the _Alliance_, just give me the supplies and manpower I need to end this." Sebastian grinned. He ordered everything the queen needed be sent to the dock.

"I want her ready to set sail by this time tomorrow," he commanded. "I need a crew raised for our new ship. How does the _NIS Snow Queen_ sound, Your Majesty?" Elsa looked up in disbelief. "It's only fitting," he continued, "You gave us the ship, it should be named in your honor."

_It was worth it._


	13. Just Run

**Author's Note:** Admittedly, this chapter suffered a little from writer's block. Regardless, please review. I want to know what you think!

* * *

Rebekka couldn't sleep. She had been trying for the past several hours, but was no closer to drifting off than when she had begun. Joan was sound asleep. Rebekka could hear her gently snoring in the bunk above her. Every once in a while, Joan would mumble and roll over, making the old bed creak.

Rebekka laid in bed and stared at the bottom of Joan's mattress. Her mind would not leave her in peace. Her own words haunted her mind.

_Any act of defiance, no matter how inconsequential, is worth taking._

She had come up with those words on the spot, but they hadn't left her mind since. There had been so many times she hadn't tried to fight back, she just yielded to the enemy. Standing up to that prince was the first time she really felt like she was doing something worthwhile for her country. What was she doing now? Just lying in bed staring at the ceiling, doing nothing. She couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of uselessness that had overtaken her in the past day. She needed to do _something_. She needed to get out of here.

_How?_

Now that was the question. It would have to wait when Rebekka suddenly noticed that Joan was awake looking down at her from the top bunk.

"You're still awake?" Joan whispered. Her hair was already bungled beyond repair and stuck out in all directions.

"Yeah, I can't keep that thing with the prince outta my mind. It was the first time I felt like I was doing something." Rebekka whispered in reply.

"Why is it keeping you awake?" Joan asked.

"I've never been terribly useful at home and I'm completely useless here. Joan, I think…" Rebekka paused, unsure of whether she should Joan in on her plan. She only knew her for two days at this point, but Rebekka still felt like she could trust her. Most people seemed put off her ability to talk non-stop and her different sense of humor, at least her mother certainly was, but Joan never seemed to mind. She listened. She might be the first _real_ friend Rebekka ever had. "… I think we need to get out of here," she concluded after a pause. She fully expected Joan to brush her suggestion off as nonsense.

"You're right." Rebekka wasn't expecting that. She looked intently at Joan's face, looking for any sign of sarcasm, but was relieved and terrified to see no trace of it. "But how are earth do you think we're going to do it?"

"I don't know," Rebekka conceded, "but you really wanna try?" Rebekka hoped Joan was serious, but still figured Joan hadn't woken up enough to understand what she just agreed to try. Joan smiled with a nod.

"I can't stay here. I need to leave," She said sleepily.

"Why _can't_ you stay here?" Rebekka asked. Joan suddenly looked scared, like she realized a mistake. She rolled back onto her mattress and looked at the ceiling. Rebekka had seen that look before, but decided to pass it off as nothing. She didn't want to push Joan away.

"It's nothing," Rebekka heard Joan say quietly. They both laid silently in their beds until Rebekka heard Joan lightly snore again. It wasn't long until Rebekka finally drifted off as well.

The next day began with the tolling of the bell as per usual. Rebekka rose first and shock Joan awake. As Rebekka started putting Joan's mass of hair into its braid, Rebekka wanted to be positive they were going to try to escape.

"So… uh… do you… do you remember talking to me last night?" she asked nervously. Joan nodded.

"Yes I do. Today we need to figure out _how_ to get out of here," Joan whispered in reply, making sure no one could hear her besides Rebekka. After Joan's hair was done, the two girls walked to the parade ground for morning roll call. On this day, however, Rebekka eyed the guards on the wall. She made mental notes on where the guards and how many there where. Joan was doing the same apparently. Rebekka counted twenty five guards along the wall and most of them were concentrated around the back wall, closer to the mass of prisoners gathering on the parade field. The guards on the ground, however, were another matter entirely. Rebekka lost count around fifty. They were patrolling randomly, looking for anyone trying to run away.

Joan and Rebekka found their place and waited for their names to be called. The barrack master stood in front of the assembled barrack and went down the list one-by-one. She replied in the affirmative to her name. After her name was called, no longer needing to pay attention, she listened to the names being called in the barrack assembled next to them.

"Robert Gudbrand! Holgar Laurits! Sverre Mikael!"

_Sverre Mikael._

Mikael was known throughout the camp for his uncontrollable temper. He reportedly broke one guy's legs because he had more food than him. Rebekka glanced back at the guards patrolling around them. Just then, the mass was dismissed and the prisoners moved back toward the barracks.

"I have an idea," she whispered to Joan. Rebekka darted away before she heard Joan's response and disappeared into the crowd. She squeezed between people and pushed her way through the crowd until she saw Mikael's large form. She quickly rushed up to him unseen and jabbed her elbow into his ribs before stealthily ducking back into the crowd. The yelling and punches that followed let Rebekka know her tactic worked. The chaos spread quickly through the crowd. Within twenty seconds nearly half of the prisoners were either fighting or yelling. Rebekka pressed back through the crowd until she found Joan again. Joan stood still in the middle of the throng, dumbfounded at how quickly her environment had changed. Rebekka grabbed her arm.

"What did you do?!" Joan yelled over the riot.

"I improvised! We have to go _now_!" Rebekka yelled back. Nearly all of the guards were preoccupied with quelling the riot in the camp. Several muskets were fired into the air, but the mob was too far gone. Rebekka was inwardly proud of herself for singlehandedly inciting the insurrection. She grabbed Joan's arm and nearly dragged her to the nearest barrack.

"Here, boost me up!" Rebekka pointed to the roof of the barrack. In her stay there, she had figured a way onto the wall, but never thought she was actually going to try it. Joan clasped her hands and pushed Rebekka up by her foot. Once she was on the roof, reached down with her hand and pulled Joan up with her. Now came the hard part. There was a gap between the edge of the barrack roof supposedly far enough to dissuade a jump. Rebekka wasn't so sure. She and Joan ran along the roof, keeping their heads down to avoid being sighted by guards, who were still busy with the riot. Rebekka hit the edge with a running start and jumped. Her body slammed into the side of the wall but her hand outstretched above her head caught the ledge. The impact hurt, but not enough to lose her grip. She hauled herself onto the wall. Joan still hadn't jumped.

"I'll catch you Joan!" Rebekka yelled. Joan backed up to take a running jump. She would have missed the wall had her outstretched hand not connected with Rebekka's. After she pulled Joan onto the wall, there was one last obstacle to overcome: the twenty foot drop on the other side.

"Prison break!" One of the guards saw the pair and fired. His shot missed Joan's head by inches. Joan threw herself over the side of the wall. She held onto the top and let her feet dangle over the edge. After a pause, she let go and dropped to the ground below. Rebekka followed suit. The collision with the ground knocked the breath out of her lungs. She only had a second to get it back before Joan yanked her to her feet.

"Run, Bekka! Just run!" She didn't have to be told twice. Every muscle ached but she still ran faster. Several more muskets fired after them, the rounds whizzed past her. They were almost to the tree line.

_Just run._

Another round of musket fire cracked through the air behind her. The sound that followed would haunt Rebekka's nightmares. A bloodcurdling scream of pain. Rebekka glanced over her shoulder to see that Joan had collapsed in a pile of agony on the ground. Rebekka didn't have time to think. She skidded to a stop in the grass and turned back to Joan. Muskets continued to fire. Shot landed around her kicking up dirt.

Joan lay on ground, tears streaming down her face. Her hands clutched her left calf. Rebekka could see the hole and blood the bullet had left behind. It wasn't life-threatening on its own, but now Joan could barely walk. They were still in the open and needed to put as much distance between the camp and themselves as possible.

"Just leave me. Run!" Joan screamed through the tears and pain.

"Oh, no. You're not getting rid of me that easily," Rebekka countered as she put her arm around Joan and lifted her to her feet. Joan screamed with pain but stayed upright. The pair began to move away from the camp with Rebekka supporting the bigger girl's weight. A few more shots were fired at them but it soon died out. Rebekka figured that was because two girls were not deemed as important as a camp full of captured soldiers.

As they limped into the tree line, the stopped to tend to Joan's wound. It continued to bleed, staining the bottom of her left leg bright crimson. Rebekka ripped the bottom of her dress to create a makeshift bandage and wrapped it around Joan's leg. The cloth stained red but the bleeding slowed.

"We… we actually did it," Joan said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, we did," Rebekka replied out of breath. She saw the pain in her friend's eyes. "I'm so sorry I can't do anything for the pain." Joan looked at her as if to say it wasn't her fault. "Come on, we have to go." With that Rebekka pulled Joan to her feet and the two began to limp through the woods into the unknown.


	14. Nightmares

**Author's Note:** Please review. I love seeing your opinions on this!

* * *

Elsa ran. She didn't know why she ran or where her destination was but she couldn't slow down. Suddenly she realized that she wasn't alone. Looking down, she saw the unconscious form of Anna in her arms. Anna's hair was pure white and her lips were blue. This is how Anna appeared in all her nightmares, but this one was different. Elsa didn't feel the guilt that normally accompanied them. She kept running. She was running _from_ something. She was protecting Anna from something, though she didn't know what it was. Her world was pitch black. Abruptly, her foot was caught by something and she feel to the ground. Anna flew from her arms and landed several yards away. Elsa looked at her foot and saw a hand grabbing her ankle. It was followed by another and another. Soon she was surrounded by hands, all of which were grabbing at her and Anna. Elsa did her best to fight them off and get to Anna, but couldn't move since her ankles were still bound. She looked up and realized that the hands had a hold on Anna and were pulling her away. Elsa pushed with all her might against the horde and managed to momentary break free. She almost got within arm's length of Anna before she was restrained again, and watched helplessly as Anna was dragged into the darkness…

Elsa bolted up in bed. She was covered in sweat and could tell that she had been crying in her sleep. Her breathing was short and rapid.

_What was that?_

It had been so real. She felt as if it had actually happened. Elsa reestablished her bearings. She was still in her cabin aboard the _Arendelle_. They were somewhere in the waters between the Northern and Southern Isles. The _Arendelle_ acted as the flagship of the miniature fleet Elsa had assembled. It consisted of three large warships, the _Arendelle_, _Concord_,and _Snow Queen_, plus dozens of smaller ships carrying the invasion force. The fleet had been at sea for two days now, moving slowly due to the slow moving cargo ships.

Elsa knew she would never be able to sleep again that night. The images of Anna were too fresh in her mind and she was too nervous about the coming event. The invasion would take place either this coming day or the next, whichever Captain Gunne decided was more suitable. Elsa stood from bed and walked onto the deck of ship. At this hour of the night, only the night watch were awake. They silently saluted as she passed. She walked onto the quarterdeck and sat in the chair at the navigator's station. The only man near her was an older man manning the helm. He wore a lower ranked uniform and had thick, brown sideburns on his face.

"What's your name, sailor?" Elsa asked quietly. The man looked at her, shocked. The Queen of Arendelle was speaking to him.

"Midshipman Otto, Your Highness," he replied bowing his head slightly as he spoke. Elsa smiled at him.

"Do you ever have nightmares, Otto?"

"Ah, that's why you're out on deck, mam," he said. "Aye, I've had me a real nightmare or two in my life. May I ask why m'lady is curious?"

"Have you ever had a nightmare that felt so real it felt like it was telling you something?" Elsa ignored his question.

"Ah, you're wond'ring if I believe in foresight. Aye, I do, mam. Never really had one happen to me though. Had me a mate a couple years back who dreamed that he was gonna die in one week." Otto responded.

"What happened to him?" Elsa inquired.

"One week to the day later, he's handling some black powder below deck. No one knows fer sure what happened. Some spark blew him to kingdom come." Otto answered flatly. Otto's anecdote did not make Elsa feel any better. She turned her attention to the sea. She did not share Anna's fear and the cool breeze off the water was always seemed to calm her down. She could see the lights of the _Concord_ to port and the _Snow Queen_ to starboard. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sea air. Elsa stood and went back to her cabin. Tomorrow, the fight would begin.

The next morning, Elsa awoke. She had somehow been able to drift back to sleep after her nightmare. The fleet would be approaching the Southern Isles and minute now. She put on her uniform and walked to the deck. The faint outline of land was barely visible on the horizon. Now was the time. As Elsa's fleet approached Notodden, Elsa saw the silhouette of the _Viper_ in port though her telescope. Its masts towered over the surrounding ships. The seventy-six gun ship of the line had three gun decks that were specifically designed to bring as much destruction to an enemy vessel as possible. It outgunned any ship in these waters. Elsa knew that her fleet had been spotted when the sails of the _Viper_'s sails unfurled. The large boat began to move out of the harbor to challenge Elsa's navy.

Elsa wasn't a naval tactician. She turned to Captain Gunne.

"How do you suggest we deal with that thing?" she asked. The captain pondered the question.

"I say we have our faster ships, the _Concord _and _Snow Queen_, move forward first. They will attack the _Viper_ from both sides simultaneously. We move into the center and attack her head on," he responded.

"Make it so, captain." Elsa returned to her telescope. The _Viper_ was out of port and bearing down on them fast. The _Arendelle_ signaled her two sister ships to attack. Elsa saw the _Concord_ drop her sails and surge forward on the wind. She watched as the small thirty-eight gun frigate sailed out meet a ship that was literally twice its size. What she didn't see was the _Snow Queen_. She look over her shoulder and became infuriated when she saw that the _Snow Queen_ had held back instead of attacking.

_We had a deal!_

As much as Elsa wanted to lash out at the treacherous ship, she had more important thing to deal with first. The _Concord _was attacking alone and it was too late to stop. Elsa watched through her telescope with horror as the two ships began to engage each other. It was not a fair fight. The _Concord_'s broadside basically bounced off the thick hull of the _Viper_ while the heavy, long guns of the _Viper_ tore the _Concord_ to shreds. Captain Gunne, however, saw the silver lining to the slaughter. If the _Viper _kept its broadside focused on the _Concord_, the _Arendelle_ could get in close. The _Arendelle_ and _Viper_ continued to sail forward, directly at each other. The forward facing pursuit guns on the _Viper_ fired. The section of railing immediately to Elsa's left disappeared in a hail of splinters while Elsa could feel the wind off of the cannonball as it flew past her.

Captain Gunne and the rest of the crew hit the deck as the second cannonball struck to Elsa's right. Elsa didn't move. She was furious. Ice spread from her hands on the rail. Not only had their only hope of winning backed out before the fight had even started, she had just lost another ship and crew to the Southern Isles. The time for holding back was over. She turned to captain Gunne who was still lying on the deck.

"Ram the _Viper_," she ordered through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty?" The captain was dumfounded.

"I said ram the _Viper_. Hit it head on, it's our only hope to avoid its broadside and we can board them. Captain, _get me on that ship_." Elsa wasn't even trying to hide her anger. The captain passed her order on while the two ships continued to close with each other. At the last minute, the _Viper_ attempted to turn to starboard to avoid an impact, but the _Arendelle _countered and the bows of both ships collided with each other. Elsa immediately summoned a thick layer of ice to freeze the ships together to make sure they stayed connected. She drew Captain Augustin's custom sword and leapt from the _Arendelle_'s bow onto the bow of the _Viper_. She was greeted by several armed sailors on the deck. Sailors from the _Arendelle_ followed and both sides began to exchange pistol and musket fire. Elsa charged headlong into the fray.

Her inexperience with her sword caused it to be knocked out of her grasp soon after the fight started. The Southern Isles sailor who had disarmed her raised his sword for the killing blow. Elsa raised her forearm in front of her face and blocked the sword with a layer of ice on her arm. She raised her other hand and summoned a shard of ice to fly into the man's chest. He fell backwards and breathed his last. Elsa stood stunned for several seconds, attempting to understand what she had just done. Her shock was broken by another sailor who attempted to slash at her with a sword. She wasn't thinking now and barely felt like she had control of her own body. Elsa deftly moved out of way before hurling another spike of ice that connected with the man's temple. Elsa quickly dispatched two more sailors in the same way.

Both sides were taking losses. Elsa's force was outnumber by a force nearly twice their size. In the midst of the skirmish, Elsa saw one of the Southern Isles sailors pinning someone to the deck, choking him. Elsa struck the enemy's heart through his back. The big man slumped down on top of the sailor. Elsa quickly pushed the enemy off and suddenly saw who she had just saved and her mouth fell agape. It wasn't one of her sailors, but…

_Anna?_


	15. Sabotage

**Author's Note: **Please review! This one ended up a lot longer than I was originally planning. In response to a review by prn: The reason Elsa didn't just freeze the _Viper_ was because she was angry. Her powers are stronger when she thinks of someone she loves. She wasn't doing that. She was just furious and not quite thinking straight, so her powers weren't at full power. I do realize that I could have explained that far better in the chapter. Anyway back to the story.

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**One Day Earlier:**

The barn door creaked open. Anna pushed herself back into the shadows behind a hay bail and waited to see who appeared. She saw Rebekka's slim form a split second before she heard the younger girl whisper Joan's name. Anna cringed at the sound. Several days had passed since they had escaped the Ragnvald Prisoner of War Camp and Anna had not worked up the courage to tell Rebekka the truth about her. Little voices in her head told her to keep it a secret. If they were recaptured, Anna wouldn't have to worry about any information being extracted from Rebekka.

_It's for her own good._

Anna inched slowly out of her hiding place. Her leg was better, but still caused pain to shoot up her leg if any pressure was put on it. The bullet had missed the bone, but still took a piece out of her calf. She could move, but only in a series of short hops. Rebekka had "borrowed" some more cloth to serve as a better bandage that was now tightly wrapped around her left calf.

The barn the two now called home was located more than thirty miles away from the camp. It was a miracle they made it that far with Anna's leg in the condition it was. The farm was about a mile away from a small port town that Rebekka decided they would need to steal a boat from to get home. The pair decided to let Anna recuperate a little before they left.

During their uninvited stay in the barn, Rebekka would spend most of the morning in the nearby town, scavenging the food and supplies they needed. Anna, unable to move quickly, stayed hidden in the barn. It was more of a storage shed, so the man who owned it rarely walked inside. Rebekka had already stolen new dresses for them so they could discard the prison clothing and blend in better with normal people. Today she was supposed to raid some food from the local shops.

Anna moved into the open to see the Rebekka had been successful. She carried several loaves of bread in her arms and she carried a small bag in her hand. She eyed Anna in the corner I smiled.

"Hey, Joan!" She ran over to Anna. "I got enough for lunch and dinner. It's just bread, but at least it's something." She reached into the small bag. "But I was able to grab something special on the way out." She pulled her hand out of the bag and produced two small pieces of chocolate. Anna's eye grew large. Rebekka noticed. "Ha, I knew you'd like it. One for me and one for you." Both girls took a piece and ate it. They savored every second. Despite the small amount, it was a good morale boost.

Rebekka's face suddenly looked sad as she looked at Anna. "Hey, Joan. I need to ask you a question."

"Sure, what is it?" Anna replied once she swallowed her cholate. Rebekka looked uncomfortable.

"Do you like being around me?" she answered after a brief pause. Anna was slightly taken aback by the question.

"Yes. What on earth made you ask that?" Anna answered, shock showing on her face.

"It's just… most people don't. You're the only person who's really stayed by me for any real length of time. I wanted to know that you weren't just using me." Rebekka looked at the floor. "Remember how I said I was on a ferry when I was captured?" Anna nodded, concern displayed in her eyes. "I… I was running away. My mom didn't want me around and my brother was gone, so I just decided to just leave and strike out on my own. It didn't work out too well obviously." Anna reached her arm out and put it around Rebekka's shoulder.

"What do you mean, your mom didn't want you around?" She asked.

"She said I was good for nothing but annoying her. She lost all joy after dad died and took everything far too seriously. Everything I would do was wrong." She replied sadly.

"That is _not _true. I would still be locked in a camp without you. I would still be laying in that field without you. Rebekka, you are _not_ worthless." Anna spoke firmly. Rebekka looked Anna in the dark.

"Thank you. I think I really needed to hear that." She broke a piece of bread off as she spoke. The two ate the rest of their meal in silence, Anna keeping her arm around Rebekka. Later, as the sun began to set, Anna looked to Rebekka.

"Bekka, I feel a lot better. I say we make a run for it tonight. We can take the last loaf with us, steal a boat, and see where we end up from there." Anna proposed. Rebekka looked back, a mischievous grin spread across her face. That was all the confirmation Anna needed. Rebekka's mood had improved greatly since her heart-to-heart several hours earlier. Anna limped down to the town, keeping most of her weight on Rebekka's shoulder. They moved through the shadows on the dock until they found a boat small enough to escape in unnoticed. Anna climbed in the boat that was only about fifteen feet long and sported a small mast with a single sail on it. Rebekka untied the ropes the jumped in after her as the boat slipped silently away from the dock.

The pair stealthily sailed through the night. As the sun rose the next day, the girls could see land in front of them. They both knew it couldn't be the Northern Isles, they hadn't sailed nearly far enough for that. It had to be another island of the Southern Isles. They beached the boat and walked ashore. Anna still used Rebekka for support. They had only walked about a mile when they came across civilization. The island they were on was long but thin. The mile they walked took them across the island to the far side. The coastal city sprawled before them. Anna noted the castle on the shore and realized that this must be Notodden, the Southern Isles' capital city. They continued into the city. The girls agreed on a cover story that Anna had hurt her leg in a farming accident in case they were questioned. To be safe, however, they stayed to the less populated streets.

As they walked, they passed a pair of men wearing naval uniforms. Anna couldn't help but listen in on their conversation as she limped past.

"… and I tell you, she didn't even put up a fight. I mean, I wouldn't try to fight the _Viper_ either, but she surrendered on sight," Anna heard the larger man tell his companion.

"How many prisoners did you get?" the smaller questioned.

"At least forty," the big man continued. "Can't remember the exact number. They're still locked in the brig 'till we find out what to do with them." Anna stopped listening there. She looked at Rebekka. The expression on her face told Anna that they had had the same thought.

They continued down the road. When they reached the end of the road, they stood on a bluff overlooking Notodden Harbor. It was impossible to not see the _Viper_. The massive warship dwarfed all other ships in the harbor. Its black and crimson stripes combined with the enormous Southern Isles flag attached to the stern made the great vessel stand out in the harbor. It was the largest ship Anna had ever seen in her life. Arendelle had never had any need for a warship of that size.

_Now we need to get on it._

"So, do you really want to get on that thing?" Anna asked Rebekka.

"Yep," Rebekka replied without a moment's hesitation. "As long as we're here, we can do something for the war. Freeing a shipfull of prisoners sounds like a good way to do that. Maybe we can do some other stuff while we're there to."

"We will get caught," Anna said, "you know that, right?"

"Not exactly," Rebekka countered, "When my dad's ship was in port, most of the crew went ashore. The _Viper_ will be mostly empty. We just have to get to it without being seen. Can you swim?"

"I think so. Not quickly, mind you, but I should be able to as long as it doesn't put weight on my leg," Anna responded. She hated swimming, but this was important enough to look past her fear of water. The girls limped down from the bluff to the shoreline. They walked along the shoreline until they were much closer to the ships in the harbor. It was around midday so most of the ships were out at sea, leaving the harbor mostly empty save for the _Viper_ and several smaller ships. Rebekka then led Anna out into the water. Once the water was deep enough, Anna could stay afloat without pain shooting up her leg. The pair began to slowly swim toward the _Viper_. They swam slowly and quietly to avoid any sentries on the ship. The sailors definitely were not expecting an attack from below, so the girls reached the ship undetected.

Anna pulled herself out of the water by a ladder on the outside of the ship. Instead of climbing all the way to the main deck, she hoisted herself into one of the open gunports near the waterline. She stifled a scream when she hit her leg against the hull. Once inside, she looked around the dark ship. No one was on this level. Rebekka crawled through the gunport after her.

"Okay, we need to find the captives and find some way to sabotage the ship," Rebekka whispered.

"You wouldn't happen to know how this ship works to do that, would you," Anna whispered back. Their conversation was suddenly cut short by the sound of footsteps walking down the stairs to the level they were on. Rebekka grabbed Anna and pulled her to an open hatch to the cargo hold below. The rapid movement hurt, but Anna could live with it. Rebekka dropped herself down the hatch just as the sailor reached the gun deck.

The two girls moved through the cargo hold until they found a place to hide. Anna admitted to herself how stupid it was to climb aboard an enemy warship with no plan of attack. Her thoughts were interrupted when Rebekka tapped her on the shoulder. When she had Anna's attention, she silently pointed to the label on the crate they sat next to. Anna had to squint to read it in the darkness.

_BLACK POWDER. WARNING: HIGH EXPLOSIVE._

As Anna looked around, she saw that they were surrounded by barrels and crates full of gunpowder. It was a giant bomb just waiting to be set off. Rebekka stood and began to scour the hold looking for some way to ignite the powder. She returned some time later with length of fuse that normally was used for hand grenades. She had cut a piece that was about five feet long. It would give them plenty of time to get off of the ship. They stuck one end of the fuse into a barrel of gunpower. Rebekka snuck back up a level to grab a lantern to light the fuse with. Now all they had to find the prisoners.

Suddenly there was a scurry of activity above them. Men were readying the cannons. Anna felt the ship start to move beneath them.

_Oh, no._

The ship must've just returned to port, why was it moving now? They were stowaways on an enemy ship that was moving out to open ocean. There was no escape now.

"Light it," Rebekka whispered.

"Wait, what?" Anna looked at Rebekka, dumbfounded. The younger girl was dead serious.

"It's only a matter of time before they find us. We can still destroy this ship and maybe find the prisoners during our escape." Anna didn't move. Rebekka grabbed the lantern out of Anna's hand, took the candle out, and lit the fuse. It was only a matter of time now. Anna suddenly heard loud thumps coming from above. They were cannonballs striking the _Viper_'s thick hull, but not penetrating. The thumps were followed by an ear shattering salvo from the _Viper_'s broadside.

_We're in the middle of a battle._

After several minutes of continuous gunfire, the _Viper_'s guns fell silent. Anna glanced at the fuse. They still had time to escape. The girls moved toward the stern of the ship. Hoping to avoid the crew that were manning the guns. As Anna limped, she realized that her leg did not hurt nearly as much thanks to the adrenaline that flowed through her veins. They went up through a hatch and entered the bottom gun deck unseen. The _Viper_ still had two more gun decks above it, plus the main deck. They moved up to the second gun deck unseen as well. They might actually make it. As Anna climbed up to the top gun deck, her braids were suddenly grabbed and a Southern Isles sailor. She screamed as she was lifted by her hair out of the hatch. Rebekka didn't hesitate before leaping out of the hatch and jumping on the sailor's back, wrapping her arms around his neck in an attempt to choke him. He dropped Anna who attempted to punch back, but her injured leg gave out. Rebekka continued to seal his windpipe until he passed out. Unfortunately, the scuffle attracted the attention of more sailors.

Rebekka hauled Anna to her feet and pulled her to the main deck. Anna finally looked around at her environment. She saw the sinking wreck of the ship had attacked them to the stern of the _Viper_. The shape of the ship was familiar to her. Where did know that ship from?

_The _Concord_. Wait, what?_

What was an Arendelle naval vessel doing in Notodden Harbor? Anna looked to the bow to see the clear outlines of the _Arendelle_ and _Alliance_ in front of them. She gritted her teeth at the sight of the _Alliance_, though now the ship carried the blue and gold paint scheme of the Northern Isles. The girls didn't have time to rest though. More sailors on the deck charged at them. Despite her small stature, Rebekka lunged forward and held her own against them. She used her small size and speed with great effect. She clawed and kicked and punched. Anna, on the other hand, was in much less of a condition to fight. She still attempted to stand her ground. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she raised her fists in defense. One of the sailors charged at her.

Before the sailor tackled her, the whole ship rocked and knocked all to the deck. Anna looked up to see that the _Arendelle _had rammed the _Viper_. Before she saw the boarding party. Anna was pinned to the deck by a Southern Isles sailor. Rebekka jumped on his back and clawed at his face and neck. Another sailor pried Rebekka away. Musket and pistol fire echoed over the deck. Anna did her best to fight her attacker away, but in her weakened state had little effect. The sailor wrapped his hands around her neck and began to squeeze. Suddenly he fell limp on top of her. His body was lifted away. Anna saw a shard of ice protruding from his back. She looked up to see her rescuer.

_Elsa!?_

She looked at the blonde in military uniform who stood over her. Elsa's blue eyes stared directly at her. They both shared the same stunned expression. Their reunion was cut short when the _Viper_ shuddered as the first barrel of gunpowder exploded. Elsa lost her footing feel to her knees. Several sailors abandoned ship and leapt over the side. Anna saw smoke pour from the open hatchways. Rebekka fought off her attacker and picked herself up the railing of the ship. A second explosion ripped through the ship. The deck seemed to raise up several inches. Rebekka flipped over the railing and into the water below. Elsa ordered her men back to the _Arendelle_. Once they were on board. Elsa dissolved the ice holding the ships together. Anna managed to her feet and looked over the side of the ship. She saw Rebekka floating in the water. She was fine.

"Swim for the ship!" Anna yelled as she pointed toward the _Arendelle_. She felt a sense of relief when she saw Rebekka respond and begin to move toward the _Arendelle_. Anna turned her attention back to her sister. Elsa had regained her footing but still was completely shocked at Anna's presence.

"Anna, we have to go _now_," Elsa commanded as she grabbed Anna to throw her over the side. The rest of the _Viper_'s crew ignored them in the rush to abandon ship.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! We have to save the prisoners in the hold!" Anna protested, pushing herself away from the rail. Elsa let out an exasperated sigh. She knew there was no talking Anna out of this.

"What happened to you?" Elsa questioned when she saw Anna's limp.

"Far too long of a story, Els. Let's go!" Anna said as she began to move down a hatch. Elsa quickly followed. The smoke that continued to pour from the lower decks choked Anna's lungs. Another explosion rocked the ship. It was only a matter of time before the main powder magazine would send the ship to the depths.

Elsa helped Anna navigate the abandoned ship. The finally found the brig at the bottom of the ship, they turned the corner to find that it was empty.

"They must've already unloaded the prisoners," Elsa stated flatly. Anna could hear the twinge of fear in her voice. Another barrel of gunpowder exploded.

"Come on, we have to go," Anna replied. The pair moved as quickly as Anna could up the decks until the deck just below the main deck. Suddenly time seemed to slow. The air felt hot and dry. The ship groaned and creaked. Cracks formed in the floor beneath them. Anna felt the shockwave hit her. She felt her feet leave the floor as she was lifted into the air. The room became lit up in a bright orange glow.

_Too late._


	16. Hell and Back

**Author's Note:** Please review! I want to know what you think of how this story's going.

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Elsa watched helplessly as Anna's head slammed into the ceiling and knocked her out cold. Elsa had only milliseconds to react. She summoned her powers with all her might a created a bubble of ice around the two of them to protect them from the oncoming wall of flame. Elsa had also been thrown back by the explosion, but avoided any major injury. She worked herself back to her feet and kept her hands outstretched to keep her ice shield together. The sound of the _Viper_'s powder magazine exploding was unbearable. It wasn't one single detonation, but a series of blasts that pounded against Elsa's ears and her ice. She glanced down at Anna. Her sister was breathing and seemed okay, save the small amount of blood that trickled from her head. Elsa turned her attention back to her ice. She could barely see through the thick material, but she could see that the world outside her bubble had transformed into a fiery inferno.

Elsa kept mentally repairing the cracks that appeared in her shield due to the onslaught of heat and pressure. She looked back down at Anna. Anna seemed at peace, unaware of the hell unfolding around her. Elsa grimaced as her arms began to tire. More explosions rocked the ship. Elsa knew that they couldn't stay there forever. The ship would sink beneath them. Every muscle in her body ached. She closed her eyes as tears of pain began to fall. She focused all her will on to the ice surrounding her and her sister. More cracks appeared. They were appearing faster than she could repair them.

_I have to get you out of here._

Elsa dropped her arms and moved to pick up her sister. She felt heavy in her arms. Elsa summoned as powerful a snowstorm as she could muster around them, hoping it could protect them from the heat. The second she relinquished control of the ice shield, it shattered into hundreds of pieces that evaporated in the fire. Elsa was stuck by a wall of heat that overcame her. The snow did little to help. Elsa held Anna close to her chest as she searched for an escape. All she could see was fire and smoke. Another crate of gunpowder exploded, sending burning shrapnel showering the pair. Elsa felt the flames licking at her clothing and could already feel burns on her right ankle. Anna's right sleeve had caught fire from a falling ember, but Elsa couldn't do anything about that now.

Suddenly, Elsa saw sunlight through the smoke. It was a hole in the hull. Elsa tightly held Anna as she ran toward the light. She could feel fire searing the flesh on her arms and legs. As she reached the opening, another barrel of gunpowder exploded, knocking Anna out of Elsa's grasp and propelling both girls out of the burning ship. Elsa struck the water below and caused the water underneath her and Anna to freeze and form a small iceberg that pushed them to the surface. Elsa looked up at the _Viper_. Within seconds, the proud warship had been turned into nothing more than a burning hulk of a ship.

Elsa and Anna were both laying on the ice as it floated away from the sinking ship. Elsa abruptly doubled over in pain. She held her hands over her stomach. When see pulled her hand away, she saw that it was covered in crimson blood. She looked at her abdomen and saw the source of the blood. A large splinter at least a foot long had completely impaled her slender frame, sticking out of her stomach.

_Oh, God. No._


	17. Stay

**Author's Note:** Due to the short length of "Hell and Back" I decided to upload two chapters today. Please review! I really want to know what you think about this.

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The destruction of the _Viper_ was seen and heard for miles. Eyewitnesses claimed the large warship cracked completely in two when the powder magazine exploded, sending two of the large masts toppling into the bay below. The cloud of smoke generated from the detonation traveled miles into the atmosphere. The large man-of-war sank to the bottom of the harbor within minutes, effectively ending the Southern Isles' dominance of the sea.

The _Concord _sank shortly after. More than half of the crew was killed by the _Viper_'s barrage and the resulting fires, but the survivors were successfully rescued by the rest of the fleet. The _Arendelle_ was close to the _Viper_ when it ignited, but suffered only small fires from falling debris. Once the _Viper_ was out of the fight, the _Snow Queen _surged forward to bring its long guns to bear on the port at Notodden. The rest of Elsa's invasion force moved forward and landed troops on the shore with little resistance. The victory at Notodden Harbor would not end the war, but it made the Southern Isles' defeat all but inevitable.

In the midst of the chaos of war, the crew of the _Arendelle_ spotted a raft of ice with two unconscious figures on board.

_Pain._

Anna stirred in her bed. Her eyes slowly opened as she looked around the room. Her eyes shot open as she recognized her surroundings. She was back in her room at the castle in Arendelle. She forced herself into a sitting positions and looked around. She swore she was dreaming. Anna had given up every seeing home again a long time ago. But everything was there and everything was real. Her bed had never been more comfortable.

It was then she noticed that her right arm was bandaged from the wrist to the elbow. Her head was also bandaged. She just felt sore all over. Her arm, head, and leg all sent shooting pains through her body when she touched them. She sat still, trying to piece together the memories that led up to her return home. Her door creaked open. Anna looked up to see the smiling face of Rebekka looking around the door.

"You're up!" She ran up to the bed to give Anna a light hug, avoiding her injuries. As she pulled out of the hug, her face put on an expression of false hurt. "You lied to me, 'Joan'," she said, trying to sound as sad as possible, but the smile on her face revealed her true feelings.

"I lied to you about the name, Bekka, nothing else," Anna replied. Rebekka leaned in for another hug.

"Welcome home, _Anna_." Anna couldn't help but smile at the sound of her name. Anna pulled out of the hug.

"Bekka, where's Elsa?" Anna asked in a much more serious tone. Rebekka's eyes dropped to the floor.

"She's, uh… not doing well," she answered shakily. Anna began to move out of bed. "No, no! You need to recover!" Rebekka warned. Anna shot her a glare.

"I _need_ to see my sister. Help me up." Rebekka did as she was told and helped Anna get to her feet. Her wounded leg gave out underneath her. Rebekka caught her before she fell to the floor. The two girls slowly moved out of Anna's room and down the hall. When they reached the blue and white door of Elsa's room, Anna reached out her uninjured arm and gently knocked three times. The royal physician opened the door from the other side. He looked surprised to see her. As the two girls limped into the queen's room, Anna noticed that Prime Minister Rolf and several other members of Elsa's council were also present.

Anna then saw her sister. Elsa was laying on her back in her bed. Anna saw that both of Elsa's arms were also bandaged just hers were. Elsa was breathing, but they were shallow, short breaths. Her skin was pale, far paler than normal. It seemed almost pure white. Anna noted several places were Elsa's platinum blonde hair was charred black by fire. Anna turned to the physician.

"Is she going to make it?" The physician didn't answer, but instead bowed his head toward the floor. Elsa apparently heard Anna's voice in the room. Her eyes gently fluttered open.

"Anna?" she called in a weak voice. Anna broke free of Rebekka's support and moved toward the bed. Her bad leg gave out almost immediately, causing to collapse at Elsa's bedside. Anna pulled herself up to look into Elsa's eyes.

"Hey, Els," Anna replied in a soft voice as she brushed a strand of hair out of her sister's face. Anna knew she was on the verge of tears, but wanted to be as strong as possible for Elsa. She couldn't say any more, the words were just not coming to her. Elsa was only able to smile weakly at Anna, a small tear rolled down her cheek.

"I guess… I guess we're even now," Elsa managed to whisper in Anna's ear. Anna couldn't stop the tears now.

"I don't care if we're even or not, Elsa. I just want you here," Anna struggled to say through tears. She wrapped her good arm around Elsa's shoulder.

"I am here, Anna. I'll right beside you every step of the way," Elsa began to cry with those words.

"Please don't go, Els. Your place is here," Anna sobbed. She buried her face in Elsa'a mattress as she began to cry uncontrollably.

"Oh, Anna. I was never made for this world. It wasn't my place, it's yours," Elsa stated quietly. Anna's head shot off of the mattress, a hint of anger was in her eyes.

"How can you say that about yourself?" Anna asked, louder than usual. "You belong in this world more than any of us here. The world needs your strength. The world need your kindness. The world needs you love. The world needs _you_." Anna barely finished that last statement through the tears streaming down her face. "What will the world do without you, Els?" She paused. "What will _I_ do?"

"Anna," Elsa reached out a placed her hand on Anna's cheek, "you'll do what's right; I know you will." Elsa let a small smile form on her face as she pulled Anna in to kiss her forehead. Elsa suddenly began to cough violently. Anna could tell it was painful and could see blood in her sister's mouth. Anna hugged her sister tightly, silently whispering under her breath.

"Please don't go, Elsa. I need you. Please don't go. Please stay." Elsa coughed for several seconds. She looked back at Anna as her eyes slowly closed. The coughing stopped. The physician stepped forward and placed two fingers on Elsa's throat, checking for a pulse. He turned and nodded at Prime Minister Rolf. Rolf stood.

"The queen is dead," he locked eyes with Anna, "Long live the queen."


	18. One With the Wind and Sky

Anna didn't eat that day or the next. She locked herself in her room and refused to leave. Her whole world felt like it had collapsed around her. Thirteen years. Thirteen years she had spent trying to get her sister back. And for what? One year of contact before Elsa was pulled away from her again. This time, however, Elsa wasn't just on the other side of a door. Anna laid in bed, staring at the ceiling while tears streamed down her cheeks. Doubt bombarded her head. She was only nineteen but she would be leading a country in just two years. Elsa took power at twenty-one, but Elsa was wise, smart, and a leader. Anna foolishly jumps on enemy ships without a plan and nearly gets herself killed. Her "plan" had killed Elsa. Anna felt the guilt swell up in her soul at that revelation.

Kristoff tried to see her the next morning, but Anna refused to open the door. She could barely reach the door on her own anyway. Her physical pain, however, was dwarfed by the emotional pain and loneliness inside. She would have to bury another member of her family. Anna didn't know if she could live through that again.

The day of Elsa's funeral arrived. Rebekka came to help Anna get ready. The black clothes in the back of Anna's closet brought all the painful memories of her parents back at once. Anna did her best to hold back the tears, but Rebekka could see the hurt crying from her eyes. Rebekka wore a black dress as well. I was the nicest dress she had ever worn in her life. After a short carriage ride from the castle, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Rebekka arrived to the grave site. A crowd of citizens had already gathered, paying their respects to the late queen.

Anna pushed Kristoff away when he tried to help her out of the carriage. She was going to do this herself. Slowly, each step agonizing, Anna limped toward the three large stones arranged in the field. Two had been there before. Anna had stood between them during her parent's funeral. Now the place between was occupied by a third, new memorial. This one actually had a body beneath it. As Anna approached, she could read the inscription carved into the rock.

_Queen Elsa Irina Lennart_

_1824-1846_

It was such a simple way to remember such a complex life. Anna limped into place next to Elsa's memorial stone, unsuccessfully holding back tears. She wasn't the only one though, nearly all present were fighting back tears.

Olaf cried for the first time in his life. Anna lost her sister, but Olaf lost his mother. No one knew why he didn't melt at Elsa's passing, but there were more pressing matters to attend to first. The priest offered a short sermon and delivered a short eulogy for Elsa. Anna didn't listen to a single word he said. Her mind was abuzz with voices of doubt, uncertainty, and guilt. The service was short and simple. The crowd dispersed and went back to the city to live the rest of their lives. Anna couldn't move. She didn't want to. She wanted to stay by her sister's side forever. As Kristoff, Olaf, and Rebekka watched on, she leaned against the stone with her forehead and sighed.

"Oh, Elsa, what am I going to do?" she whispered. Anna closed her eyes as a single tear fell from her cheek onto the gravestone. Her eyes shot open as she heard a crackling sound below her. The tear had turned to solid ice on contact with the stone. Anna limped away from the grave several steps, unsure of what to make of it. Kristoff saw the concerned expression on Anna's face and rushed to her side.

"Anna, what's wrong?" Kristoff asked, his arm around her shoulder. Anna didn't speak for once. She just pointed to the tiny ice patch on Elsa's grave. Kristoff's eyes widened at the sight. "We need to go to Grand Pabbie, he might know what happened," Kristoff said as he helped Anna back to the carriage. Rebekka decided to walk with Olaf back to the castle.

Once in the Valley of Living Rock, Kristoff and Anna received the same warm welcome they always received from Kristoff's family. Once Kristoff was able to calm the trolls down and assure them that Anna's injuries were healing fine, Anna asked to see Grand Pabbie. Once Anna explained what she had seen, Pabbie looked lost in thought. Kristoff explained that he was meditating, mentally searching through his knowledge of spells and magic. After several minutes, Pabbie stirred. He took Anna's hands in his cold, stone ones and looked her in the eye.

"Anna, you sister had the essence of winter living within her. I cannot say how, but Elsa's spirit over the years has bonded with winter itself. While the body can be destroyed, the soul of winter cannot." He spoke slowly. Anna sat still for several moments, processing the information the old troll had just told her.

"So… so Elsa's alive?" she asked hopfully.

"In body, no. But in spirit…" As if to finish his sentence, a small breeze whipped through the valley. Anna shivered as a winter chill traveled up her spine. Despite the fact she was trembling from cold, the chill felt like a warm embrace.

"El… Elsa?" she whispered quietly, a tear forming in her eye. For the first time in forever, it wasn't a tear of sorrow or loneliness. It was a tear of happiness.

_I'm right here, Anna._

Anna looked around her. She heard the voice as clearly as she had heard Grand Pabbie, but there was something ethereal about this one. It was just a whisper on the wind.

"Elsa!" Anna repeated much louder than before. In her excitement, she hopped up. She immediately regretted that decision when she came back down on her bad leg. The pain was bad and she would have toppled over has Kristoff not been by her side to catch her. The two smiled at each other as Kristoff hoisted Anna back to her feet. The breeze blew through the valley again and Anna swore she heard the unmistakable sound of Elsa's giggle. Anna shot a glare to the sky. Her pain shouldn't be that funny.

"So can Elsa… die?" Kristoff questioned.

"As long as the spirit of winter persists, so will Elsa's essence." Pabbie answered flatly.

Kristoff and Anna traveled back to the palace. Anna's mind was in a blur, still trying to understand her sister's fate. As she thought, her stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten in days. Once back at the castle Anna ate a full meal and slept a full comfortable night's sleep, something she hadn't been able to do in weeks.

The world slowly began to settle down into normalcy. The war with the Southern Isles officially ended two weeks after the Battle of Notodden Harbor. To commemorate the victory, the people of Arendelle erected a bronze statue of Elsa in the town square. Anna appreciated that the statue depicted her sister in her royal gowns as opposed to her military gear. That wasn't the Elsa she wanted them to remember. Kristoff and Anna collectively decided not to tell the people about Elsa's return. It might be a bit much for them to handle. Anna did, however, tell Rebekka. She was done lying to her friend.

Two months after Elsa's death, Anna and Kristoff were married. Rebekka finally attended the ball she always wanted to as Anna's maid of honor. Despite the fact that Kristoff would bear the title of "king" someday, Anna would still be the ruling monarch. It was custom in Arendelle that the leader be of noble birth. Kristoff obviously wasn't.

On Anna's twenty-first birthday, she was crowned the new Queen of Arendelle. Anna's birthday was in late October, but her coronation saw the first snowfall of the year. Anna smiled widely as she watched the snowflakes fall from the sky. Elsa was celebrating.

Nearly a year after being crowned, Anna gave birth to the heir to the throne, Laura. Two years later, Anna gave birth to Prince Johan. Anna had a family again. Queen Anna and King Kristoff ruled over Arendelle for the next several decades. It was a time of peace and both Anna and Kristoff were loved and respected by their subjects. Anna was a fair and honest queen.

Rebekka and Anna remained close friends for the remainder of their lives. Rebekka went back to the Northern Isles and reconnected with her family, where eventually met a man who she later married before moving to Arendelle permanently.

Anna ruled Arendelle until her death of natural causes at the age of eighty-six, remembered as Queen Anna the Cheerful after her infectious laughter. She was buried alongside Elsa between her parents.

_Queen Anna Marie Lennart-Bjorgman_

_1827-1913_

Nearly half of all of Arendelle attended her funeral. After her death, stories began to circulate about Anna and how, no matter how bad she felt, no matter how busy she was, no matter how old she was, during every first winter snowfall, Anna would go outside…

…and build a snowman.

**THE END**

**Author's Note:** So, there it is. The end of my first real story. Please review and tell me what you thought of it. It was incredibly fun to write this and thank you to everyone who followed and favorited. This did much better than I ever thought it would! If you have any questions about the story, you can PM me or write it in a review. I'll do my best to answer them. If I get enough, I might add an appendix to the story answering them all in one place. Anyway, thanks for reading!


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